Tizzy's Challenges
by Crazy Amazing
Summary: Spin-off/side story of xPikachu-Princessx's "Sinnoh Challenges". Tizzy seems to fail at everything she attempts to become. Read on as she joins Rina and friends to discover what life has in store for her. Parody-like.
1. Introduction To Tizzy's Journal

Tizzy's Journal

_**Name:**__ Tizalicious Harrison-Joy_

_**Age: **__15 (soon to be 16!)_

_**Height:**__ Too tall for my age_

_**Weight:**__ I'm not quite sure; Mom said I'm not allowed to use the scales because they're only for Pokémon..._

_**Parents:**__ Brock Harrison and Marnie __Francis Lynnette__ Joy (married – and way too affectionate for people their age. Which is old)_

_**Siblings:**__ One sister, Sunshine Harrison-Joy. She's two, and just sooo cute! At least, she was when I saw her on the phone..._

_**Region:**__ Pewter City, Kanto_

_**Pokémon:**__ I owned an Azurill for like, a week. But I knew that the only Pokémon for me is Tubby, the obese – sorry, slightly padded – Snorlax. I've had Tubby since he was an egg. Mom and Dad gave it to me for my seventh birthday, and I remember thinking: _this is it; my very own Pokémon!_ I vowed to take care of him/her (I didn't know which yet) and make sure he/she was the happiest they could ever be. Tubby hatched a few weeks later and I got a Munchlax. I named him Tubby straight away because even then he was a bit bigger than the average-sized Munchlax – Mom told me so. We began our journey as soon as I was eleven. I just couldn't wait! Unfortunately, I hadn't listened to Dad when he was giving me a lecture on the Dos and Don'ts of how to survive by yourself in the wild so I ended up rushing back home after a couple of hours. I got better at being by myself though, since I always had Tubby to look out for me._

_**Journey:**__ Now that would require me to practically write a whole book..._

* * *

"Sunshine wants to say hello," Mom said cheerfully. I watched as she lifted the toddler into view. Thick head of pink curls; big orange eyes; cheeky smile – yep, she was definitely my sister. I wish I could go home and see her, but I couldn't go home now. I was having too much fun! Besides, I'd seen her when she was born and saw her every week through the phone. What more could she ask for? Behind me, Tubby growled quietly when he saw Sunshine appear on the screen to show that he liked me better. I petted his stomach soothingly and waved hello to Sunshine.

"Hiyaaa! Are you okay, Sunshine?" I said, loudly and slowly so she could understand what I was saying. Sunshine blinked at me.

"S'lax!!!" she screamed, and began to cry. Mom's worried face popped up as she moved Sunshine so that she could no longer see Tubby. I guess Sunshine didn't like him much either. Mom apologised and then carried a wailing Sunshine away to try to calm her down. Dad appeared in the screen.

"Sorry about that, Tizzy. You know how your sister gets around large Pokémon..." I had to admit that I didn't. I hardly knew anything about Sunshine, just that she looked a lot like me when I was her age and that she was my sister. Maybe I should visit more often..? But if Sunshine didn't like Tubby then there would be no point going to visit, as she would just cry all the time.

"How's your journey going, anyway kiddo?" Dad asked. I scratched the back of my head and grinned, slightly embarrassed.

"Okay Tizzy, what happened?" Dad didn't miss a thing. Where should I start? I hadn't earned myself any gym badges or ribbons – the closest I had come had been almost winning fourth place before finding out there was a mistake and it was actually fortieth place. Humiliating. Tubby hadn't been put down by all our failures so I refused to be too. Whatever happens, we have each other for comfort, and anyone with eyes could see that Tubby was the softest comfort a girl could have.

When I had hung up, I realized that Tubby had wandered off. Obviously, it wasn't hard to find him because he was so big. I caught him just as he was downing two milkshakes that belonged to this blonde girl. She looked furious and started shouting at me, so I immediately tuned out. A crowd of people gathered around us and encouraged us to have a fight. A girl – presumably the blonde girl's friend – came over and asked Blondie what was going on. Everyone was shouting and I just didn't want to listen so I day-dreamed instead. In my day-dream, Tubby and I were winning our millionth badge/ribbon – it didn't really matter which. Mom and Dad were crying: they were so proud of me. Sunshine didn't hate Tubby; in fact, she was hugging him. Well, trying to. Blondie eventually seemed to calm down so I did the honourable thing: I offered her a cookie.

"I'm sorry, but your Snorlax is just too big to be inside, and its blocking people's way. Could you possibly leave?" one of my aunts – the Nurse Joy of Oreburgh City – said. I held Tubby's hand and led him outside, not wanting to interfere with my aunt's work; I knew how much it annoyed Mom. The two girls followed us outside and I think the blonde one's name was Sky – I heard the brunette call her that back in the Pokémon Centre. The crowd from inside also followed me and Tubby, and made a circle around us. Sky challenged me to a Pokémon battle, which I accepted. Sky called out a Misdreavous and I told Tubby to kick their butt! In my eagerness, I ordered Tubby to use moves that he had no idea of – which could have been our downfall if not for Misdreavors's attacks bouncing off of Tubby's stomach until finally, Sky got frustrated and told it to charge at Tubby. I wanted to warn her what would happen if she did that but it was too late – her Misdreavous got stuck in his marshmallow-like belly. I could tell that it tickled Tubby from the way he was smiling.

"This is so stupid! I give up. That Snorlax shouldn't be in a battle!" Sky called back her Misdreavous. I could tell she was annoyed. Me? I was over the moon! I had won a battle! This was definitely something to call Mom and Dad about. I realized that the crowd had dwindled to a single person – the brunette who was friends with Sky. Really happy with his performance, I offered Tubby my last cookie. I knew he loved them but I didn't think it was healthy for him; usually once he had one cookie he wanted more. The two girls left without saying anything else to us.

"Tubby, do you mind waiting outside so I can call Mom and Dad and tell them about our success?" Tubby nodded happily so I skipped back inside the Pokémon Centre and rang my parents.

"Mom! Dad! You'll never guess what just happened!" I noticed too late that only Dad was present. He looked really worried and I was instantly alert.

"Your Mom thinks there's something wrong with Sunshine," he said. I gasped, and in that moment made a fast decision.

"Dad, I'm coming home."

* * *

**Note: Well, I hope you liked it. Please show your love and support (or even hate!) by leaving a review. Thank yoooouuuu x**


	2. Sunshine

Sunshine

"Mom! Dad!" I was so happy to see them that I forgot they weren't as strong as Tubby. As a result, when I jumped on them to give them a bear-hug we fell on the floor in a heap. I quickly stood up and Tubby helped to pull Mom and Dad off the floor. Tubby and I smiled angelically.

"Is Sunshine okay?" I asked, really worried. Mom and Dad exchanged glances, which I didn't take for a good sign.

"You better come inside and see for yourself," Dad said. Clutching Tubby's huge hand for support, I followed my parents into the house I had grown up in. Sunshine was curled up in a ball, sleeping fitfully. She wouldn't keep still and continuously convulsed. On her face was such a look of pain that I instantly felt bad. Mom's Blissey fussed over her, fetching cold water, blankets and various medicines. I looked to my parents.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. Dad took a long time to answer me.

"We're not entirely sure." I looked back at my sister, suddenly feeling awful for not making an extra effort to see her in person. Who was I kidding? Seeing her once in her life time was not enough. Tears stung my eyes as I realized how much I had missed in Sunshine's life: her first smile, her first words, her first steps. Seeing I was close to tears, Mom held me in her arms.

"She'll be okay, you'll see," she said soothingly. I wished I could believe her.

Tubby had to return to his Pokéball because Mom said there just wasn't enough room for him in the house; not like when he was a Munchlax. I reluctantly returned him, promising to give him a whole bag of cookies as a treat as soon as he was allowed out again. The thing about coming home for the first time in so long was that I got to see my old room again. It was exactly the same as I had left it: Parchirisu plush tucked up under my yellow and blue stripy duvet; red carpet miss-matching the pale brown walls; A2 poster of my idol, Officer Jenny with her Growlithe. After placing Tubby's ball on my desk I belly-flopped on to my bed. It felt good to be home.

Later, when I had eaten dinner and washed and it was night time, Mom came into my room to tuck me in. Up until I was eleven, Mom had been tucking me in before I went to bed and since I moved out, we hadn't really agreed that she would stop doing it. So there I was, fifteen years old (and too tall for my age), letting my mom tuck me in before going to sleep. No, not even letting; enjoying it. I felt like her baby all over again. Then I felt bad, because I remembered that Sunshine was the baby and she was sick.

"Mom? Do you really believe Sunshine will be okay?" I asked timidly. Mom had just finished tucking me in so she sat down beside me on the edge of my bed, gently brushing my fringe out of my eyes with her hand.

"You need a trim," she said softly, not answering my question. I grabbed her hand and held it still, staring hard into her eyes.

"Mom." Mom slid her hand out of mine and swapped them so that she was the one holding my hand, holding my gaze.

"Tizzy, I **promise you** that Sunshine will be fine," she said with such conviction that I found myself believing her. I smiled up at my mom; she was so beautiful even though she was almost forty. She kissed my forehead and made as if to leave my room but I called her back.

"Sing to me," I commanded. Mom smiled at me and did as I had requested until I had fallen asleep.

The next day I was the first person up. Without bothering with breakfast, I rushed out of the house and into the cluster of trees that surrounded Pewter City. Once there, I reached into my pocket and threw Tubby's ball. He appeared in front of me, quite happy to see me. We hugged – it had been so long since we had last seen one another – and I told him what I needed him to do. Tubby refused, pointing to his stomach. I got it; he was hungry. Luckily I had anticipated that and offered the packet of cookies I had promised, which Tubby ate in one mouthful – including the packet! Licking his lips, I could tell that he was satisfied. Tubby gave me a leg up and I was on his back. He ran further away from Pewter City until I told him that he could stop. We were quite far enough. I slide down Tubby's back to see if I could find what I was looking for. After hunting around for a while, I found it.

A large group of Teddiursas. I told Tubby to dive and try to catch one, but when he did so the Teddiursas split up and scattered into the trees. Not one was left behind. I cursed under my breath; knowing that it was my fault my plan had failed. After all, never in my life had I ever caught a Pokémon. I had no idea what I was doing. I sat on the short grass and held my head in my hands in despair. I was useless! It was bad enough that Dad was a Gym Leader and Mom was a Nurse Joy, meaning I had to amount to something worthy of their pride. Add that to the fact that I was crap at all things Pokémon and hey presto! You get my life in a nutshell.

"Tizzy, is it really you?" a voice said. I lifted my head instantly to see a girl my age, with short black hair tied up in two spiky bunches on top of her head. Her eyes were green and filled with concern for me. She wore a black top, green jacket, denim blue shorts and large brown boots. I recognized her almost instantly. Emma Aldington, my best friend growing up. Since she was a few months older than I, she'd left for her journey before me and I hadn't heard from her in four years. A Charizard stood behind her, eyeing Tubby with deep suspicion. I could remember a time when that same Charizard was a Charmander.

"It **is** you!" Emma exclaimed, embracing me. From the way her arms strangled me it was clear I had been missed. She finally released me from her death grip and I was able to get a better look at her Charizard.

"Your Charmander has really grown!" I said, offering it a cookie which it refused.

"Huh? Oh, it's not the same Pokémon. I traded that weak thing ages ago. It just wouldn't evolve!" Emma's words shocked me. If Tubby had never evolved into a Snorlax, I could never imagine trading him away! I'd love and train with him regardless. I hadn't thought trading "weak" Pokémon would be something Emma would ever do, but obviously she had changed.

"Is that the same Pokémon your parents got you all those years ago?" Emma asked. I nodded. "Wow! He's really...big. Do you over-feed him or something?" I was used to people asking me that so I didn't take it personally. I explained that Tubby was just naturally larger than the average Snorlax, which seemed to impress Emma. She appeared to consider something before going on to ask:

"Do you want to trade it?" I laughed. I'd never trade Tubby! Emma persisted.

"I'll trade you my Charizard! He's really strong and reliable and he can fly you anywhere you want." I didn't accept. Frustrated, Emma sent out five more Pokémon to offer. She had a Marowak, Haunter, Torterra, Lopunny and a Lapras. I refused them all. Emma even tried to offer me two for the price of one but I told her that I would never – ever – trade Tubby. Annoyed at being let down, Emma stormed off. I turned to Tubby and did my best to hug him (my arms didn't quite make it around his very wide stomach).

"I love you Tubby; I'll never in a million years trade you away!"

"Snorlax!" he grinned. I sighed then, letting my arms drop. I still hadn't caught a Teddiursa. All I had done so far was kill a couple of minutes. What I needed was a better plan! I sat cross-legged on the ground and put on my best thinking face. Tubby did the same. Come on Tizzy! You can think of a plan. I know you can do it, I told myself. Tubby nudged me with the tip of his paw; I waved it away. Tubby kept nudging me and I lost my patience.

"What is it??" I snapped. Tubby pointed next to me. Turning my head, I saw a Teddiursa sitting cross-legged just as I was. Its thinking face wasn't nearly as good as mine though. With a jolt, I realized that this was exactly what I had been waiting for! Thinking fast, I grabbed the Teddiursa around the middle. It didn't struggle. Still holding it in my arms, I stood up.

"You're coming home with me! You're going to be a present for my little sister, and then maybe she'll feel better!" I said softly to the cuddly Pokémon. It laughed delightedly.___

* * *

_**Note: Hope you liked this chapter! Remeber, this is just a side story of Sinnoh Challenges (which is a LOT better, trust me). I'm trying to explain Tizzy's absence for 5 chapters XD Review/Alert/Favourite = I'll love you! x**

**p.s be sure to read Sinnoh Challenges if you haven't already! :)  
**


	3. Back On Track

Back On Track

When I got back home, Dad was the only one who was awake. He stared at the cute Pokémon in my arms quizzically, so I explained to him my idea. He thought it was a good one and congratulated me on successfully catching a Teddiursa, which made me swell with pride. Perhaps I was following in my father's footsteps..?

Soon after our encounter, Mom and Sunshine woke up and I was glad to see that Sunshine looked a lot better than she had yesterday. Blissey looked absolutely exhausted and Mom thanked her for nursing Sunshine through the night before letting Blissey take a well-deserved rest. When Sunshine had eaten breakfast (well, drank it. It was milk) and Mom had settled her on the sofa I presented Teddiursa to her. For a personal touch, I'd tied a silky purple ribbon around its neck and I had to say that Teddiursa looked simply adorable! Sunshine loved her new Pokémon the minute she set eyes on it – of which I was glad. Sunshine eagerly held her pudgy hands out to take Teddiursa from me. As soon as Teddiursa was in Sunshine's arms, Sunshine gave it the biggest bear hug I'd ever seen. Mom and Dad came behind me as we watched the two year old interact happily with the Pokémon, their hands resting on each of my shoulders. I felt like I had actually accomplished something!

Mom told me later on that Sunshine was over the worst and would be fine.

"Didn't I promise you she'd be fine?" she laughed for the first time since I'd come home. I spent the day enjoying my families company. As much as I liked to being back home, I knew that I had to be back out in the world on my journey. Everything here was taken care of my Mom and Dad but outside, there was an entire world just waiting for me to find it. At night-time, Mom came in my room to tuck me in again and this time Dad came in with her. They both sat on the edge of my bed and from their serious faces I could tell they wanted to talk to me about something important. Mom started it off.

"Tizzy, no matter what you do or where you are, we'll always love you."

"I know that, Mom," I said, hugging my Pachirisu doll underneath the duvet. Mom looked assured by this.

"It's just that we want to know if you'd be happier at home. With us," Dad said. I didn't say anything straight away – I didn't want to upset them by saying that I wanted to leave!

"We know you're having a hard time out there on your own: you've got no badges or ribbons," he continued. I gasped. How did they know?? Then again, I suppose it was obvious since I never once showed them any of my accomplishments. I couldn't even catch a Pokémon properly! Earlier, I'd read on the internet that usually a trainer weakened the Pokémon they were trying to catch with a Pokémon of their own, and then throw a Pokéball at the wild Pokémon in the hopes that it holds them. I was totally useless and my parents knew it.

"But...I'm not actually on my own. I've got Tubby! And I don't mind that I'm a complete failure...its fun! I don't want to stay home – I'll go nuts! Please let me go out..." I begged desperately. My parents stared at me as if I was already nuts.

"We're not forcing you to stay home!" Dad exclaimed.

"We just thought that you would prefer to stay at home. We didn't realise you were having fun!" Mom added. I visibly relaxed as it sunk in that they weren't disappointed with me for not wanting to stay at home. I fell into an easy sleep that ensured I was well-rested for the day ahead.

*

"Goodbye Sunshine!" I said, picking up my sister and spinning her around once. Sunshine giggled in my arms and squealed for me to put her down, which I did so – but only after tickling her mercilessly. I then turned to my parents, hugging them tightly in turn. I was going to miss my family.

"Make sure you call us!" Mom urged me. I promised not to forget.

"Try to find someone to travel with," Dad advised. I told him I'd try. Turning away from my house, I threw Tubby's Pokéball in the air and he came out. Teddiursa and Blissey poked their heads outside to see what all the fuss was about. Tubby lifted me onto his shoulders and from there I waved to everyone. With Tubby's large feet moving the house was soon out of sight. We had travelled for around an hour when Tubby grew tired of walking and pestered me to feed him. I decided we should take a break and produced two sandwiches – one jumbo sized, the other normal – from the backpack that had belonged to Dad many years ago. Tubby ate his sandwich in one go as I expected him to, but it took me a little longer to finish eating. I kept staring at my Pachirisu doll that I had packed to remind me of home and to visit sooner than two years.

When Tubby was feeling up to it again, we continued on our journey and eventually made it to the coast just as night was beginning to fall. A boat was getting ready to leave and I asked a man where it was going.

"Our main destination is Full Moon Island, but first we're going to make a stop at Canalave City. Tickets are free because it's a special trip, so you don't need to worry about the cost!" he said cheerfully.

"Cool! Count us in," I said excitedly, making my way on board the ship. The man quickly stopped me though.

"You're going to have to keep your Snorlax in it's Pokéball, I'm afraid. It's rather...well, it's flat out too fat!" he said rudely. I stuck my nose up at him but because I badly wanted to go on board the ship – I had never been on one before! – I returned Tubby to his Pokéball. It seemed everywhere I went just wasn't built for his size. I stomped on the deck with as much dignity as I could muster.

Who would have guessed that a ship could be so bumpy? For the first two days, all I did was throw up but after that I seemed to get the hang of being on a ship and actually started to enjoy myself. I did miss Tubby's company though. On the third morning, I bumped into Emma. The ship was so big I hadn't seen her for the past two days and then there she was, standing opposite me on the other side of the breakfast buffet table. She had been reaching for the mineral bottled water. Me? I'd been shamelessly stuffing bottles and packed foods into my bag for when we got off the ship. I wanted to be prepared, and anyway it was a buffet!

"Tizzy," Emma said snippily. I smiled widely at her, amazed by the coincidence.

"Emma! Hi! What are you doing here?!" I asked, stuffing a triple chocolate muffin in my mouth, Tubby-style. Emma looked at me with repulse written all over her face, not that I cared. To me, only my parents' view of me mattered.

"My mom forced me to come along with my cousin." Emma gestured to the boy standing next to her, who I only just took notice of. My eyes met his and my heart stopped. They were brown and beautiful and enchanted me with a single glance. I'd never been in love before but I knew that this was it: the real deal. Once I'd gotten past the eyes that captivated me, I took in the rest of him: black hair peeking out the edge of a grey winter hat, pale white face and timid expression. He was perfect. I thrust my hand in his face.

"HI! I'm Tizzy!" I said loudly. The boy looked at me and there was a pause before he put his hand in mine. We shook, and my skin tingled at his touch.

"I'm A-Andy." Emma's eyes darted from me to Andy, and then back before throwing back her head and laughing. Andy shot his cousin a confused look and was interrupted from speaking by the voice of the captain overhead.

"Pokémon trainers, this is your captain speaking. We will be arriving at Canalave City in ten minutes, where we will wait an hour before leaving again for Full Moon Island." People all around us started moving, getting themselves ready to shop in Canalave City before the journey to Full Moon Island began. In the hustle and bustle, Emma and Andy were swept away. I threw my backpack over my shoulder, checked that Tubby's Pokéball was in my pocket and stood by the side of the ship to wait until I could see the first signs of land.

* * *

**Note: If you read Sinnoh Challenges, you'll know all about Andy already lol! If you haven't...what's wrong with you?! This isn't the main story here - Tizzy doesn't (or rather, can't) battle! Unless you're reading because you think I'm just some awesome writer, in which case I thank you :)**

**Crazy Amazing x  
**


	4. Super Tizzy: A Girl Washed Up

Super Tizzy: A Girl Washed Up

We arrived in Canalave City ten minutes later, just like the captain had said. I got off the boat and let Tubby out of his Pokéball for the entire hour the ship docked there, allowing him to stretch his legs. I knew he wasn't happy staying in his Pokéball for so long but there was nothing I could do about it. To try and cheer him up, I gave Tubby an entire cheesecake to eat by himself. It worked a _**treat**_, ha ha!

The ship announced that it would be leaving soon so I reluctantly returned Tubby to his ball and climbed back on the ship. From across the deck I spotted two familiar faces relaxing on deckchairs; Sky and the other girl...what'sherface. Feeling bad that I didn't know her name, I decided to get closer to them and try to catch the other girl's name. That way, when I revealed myself to them it would be as if I always knew both their names. Well, it didn't take long for Sky to mention the girl by name and I took this as my cue to say hello.

"Oh my gosh! It's Rina and Sky!" I grinned at them cheerily. I saw Sky pull a face but Rina seemed pleased to see me.

"Tizzy, nice to see you," she said. I felt like I was welcomed, so I lay on the empty deck chair next to Rina and told the two girls about what the mean guy had said about Tubby being "too fat". He was just lucky I hadn't seen him since then, or else I would have knocked him silly! I ate a whole packet of cookies and a sugar rush overcame me, which meant that I didn't stop talking. I was still talking when an announcement was heard:

"Please calmly make your way below deck, as a vicious storm is brewing." I hadn't even noticed the dark, menacing dark clouds, fierce wind or powerful waves. Now that I thought about it, the ship was definitely rocking dangerously from side to side. A stampede of people pushed and shoved their way to the only entrance to the inside part of the ship, and Rina, Sky and I were a part of that. No-one wanted to stay outside in the storm, except for me. I'd never seen a sea-storm before and was excited about this one. However, since everyone was running inside I knew I'd have to follow them or get trampled on. It was a shame really.

These guys in white and blue outfits kept trying to calm down everyone who was yelling. I felt it was really unfair, as I was being ignored. Sky and Rina were gripping on to a table for dear life, not even noticing me. To draw attention to myself, I ran in circles and yelled as loud as I could the first thing that came into my head.

"POTATOES!" Suddenly, Rina dashed back outside with Sky close on her tail. Well! It seemed I wasn't the only one excited about the storm. The ship rocked even harder than before and I almost fell right over! Thunder crashed loudly overhead and I realized that Rina and Sky could be in danger. This could be my chance to make my parents proud! I told everyone around me that I was going to be Super Tizzy and rescue the two girls from the big bad storm, before rushing outside.

The heavy rainfall hit me hard – and it was cold! I squealed, alerting Sky and Rina that I had followed them. Rina yelled for Sky and me to tail her, which I only just about heard over the racket the storm was making. I wanted to tell it to shush so I could hear Rina. Then, I lost sight of them both as lightning lit up the sky, quickly followed by a deafening crash of thunder. I stumbled backwards – the rocking of the ship not helping my balance – and before I knew it, I was holding on to the edge of the ship for dear life! I tried to call for help from Sky or Rina but they couldn't hear me, and then a large wave swept me away from the side of the ship, sucking me out to the sea.

Under the cover of the ocean, it was weirdly peacefully. Above I could hear the rain clattering down no the sea, but it was muffled. I could no longer hear the thunder, or cries from other passengers. It was warm too. It made me want to sleep...

*

I woke up on a sandy beach. Sky, Rina and Rina's Pichu – whom I only just noticed – were lying next to me. Rina was the only one who wasn't conscious. Sky tried to wake her up, which she eventually did. Rina's Pichu immediately crawled up her body to sit itself on her shoulder. Sky explained to Rina that we had somehow made it to Full Moon Island, which was yet another amazing coincidence. This made me remember Andy. I wonder if he saw me rescue Rina and Sky..?

I released Tubby from his Pokéball and hugged him tightly; realizing that I could have lost him as he was in my pocket the whole time. Sky interrupted us by declaring we should all look for a "rare Pokémon". I didn't really know much rare Pokémon, except for Mew. Sky began walking so Rina, Tubby and I quickly followed after her. After a while, Sky complained that Tubby was making her feel as if she was in an earthquake and asked if I could return him to his Pokéball. I didn't want him back inside the ball so soon after just being released, so I said honestly that Tubby was scared of the dark – well, he used to be back when he was a Munchlax. From the look Sky shot me, I got the feeling she didn't much like me, or Tubby for that matter. Ah well.

We followed a path that ran through the island, and with Tubby and the two other girls I felt like I was Dorothy, Rina was Scarecrow (not because she was scary, but in the movie he seemed to have all the good ideas), Sky was Tin Man (her dislike for Tubby proved she had no heart) and Tubby was Lion (it was the only part left). With that in my mind, I began to sing loud and clear for the whole island to hear.

"We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!" Eventually the path ended at the foot of a cliff that had a funny-looking statue outside it. Sky started explaining what it was but I tuned out – it sounded boring. As I ignored her, I noticed a helicopter coming to land on the beach. For some reason, this made Rina and Sky nervous and I think Rina tried to tell me why; unfortunately I wasn't listening. I was busy wondering who would win if a lion and a tiger had a fight.

I did listen when Rina advised me to return Tubby to his ball. Her face looked really anxious so I guessed it would be a big help to her if Tubby wasn't around. I knew from experience he was easily spotted. With that done, we began to make our way back to the beach. I of course had no idea what was going on. When we got there, Rina and Sky made me crouch down behind some bushes. From there I could see a group of people gathered around, talking about something that sounded pretty serious. The thing that struck me as weird was that they all seemed to be wearing the same outfit! It looked **so** silly that I couldn't help myself; I laughed.

It wasn't _my_ fault that one of the guys heard me and ordered us to come out from our hiding place. Rina and Sky glared at the man so I made sure I did too. Sky elbowed me and demanded to know why I had laughed. I told her about the way they were dressed but she didn't seem amused. The man who had seen us let loose his Pokémon on us: a Golem, Magmortar and Blastoise. I felt strangely satisfied in the knowledge that Tubby was bigger than all of them.

"Sparky, go!" Rina called. Her Pichu jumped forward, its cheeks sparking with fierce electricity.

"Drifloon, let's see what you can do!" Sky yelled, throwing its Pokéball in the air. The purple balloon-like Pokémon appeared, ready for battle. Not wanting to be left out, I created a battle cry for myself completely on the spot, letting Tubby out of his ball for what seemed to be the millionth time that week. It was like the six Pokémon were having a staring competition, all of them waiting for their masters to command them. An unusual pink light emerged, right next to Rina, Sky and me. I like to think I wasn't the only one who nearly wet their pants when they saw that pastel-coloured, oddly shaped Pokémon floating near us. The man smirked at us and had the kind of expression on his face that I could only describe as his "everything is going according to plan bad guy face".

"Its here. Cresselia has arrived."

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**Note: I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Tizzy is such a special person lol! Read Sinnoh Challenges, if you haven't already :D**


	5. April

April

I guessed that the Pokémon I'd never seen was called Cresselia, and from the way everyone was staring at it in awe it was pretty rare to see. I'd have to call Mom and Dad later to tell them all about this! The man (who I worked out to be the leader) told his same-dressed friends to take our Pokémon and Cresselia; Sky stepped forward to challenge him, calling him "Terry". Terry ordered his friends to surround us and Cresselia, and the Golem, Magmortar and Blastoise closed in on Sparky, Drifloon and Tubby. Rina ordered Sparky to use thunderbolt on Blastoise, but it didn't have any effect on it at all. That had happened to me millions of times before, so I knew how Rina must have felt. Rina pointed out a device on all of Terry's Pokémon, which he described as an "experiment". My head hurt with all this information.

Without warning, a net was shot at Cresselia – who dodged it and fired a beam towards Terry, causing him to drop something. He called back his Pokémon, picked up what he had dropped (it looked like a candy bar – yum) and sprinted to his helicopter.

"S-sir? We're retreating already?!" one of his friends asked.

"Yes! I have a much better plan; we'll have the most powerful Pokémon ever. We cannot do this while those idiots are around." They all got into the helicopter and Sky, Rina and I watched it disappear into the distance.

"That was weird. Why would they do that?" I thought aloud. I wanted a helicopter.

"They're planning something; something big." Sky replied, even though I had no idea what she was talking about. Cresselia nodded at us and I found myself clutching Tubby's arm – that Pokémon scared me! Before I knew what was happening, Tubby and I were in Hearthome City. The first thing I did was find a Pokémon Centre so I could call my parents.

"Dad? Where's Mom?" I asked, as soon as his face showed up. He was wearing his pink apron so I knew he must be in the middle of cooking. As I watched, Teddiursa climbed up his arm and sat on his head; I could hear Sunshine laughing.

"She's working at the Centre," Dad replied. Excitedly, I described to him what had happened since I'd left home and he seemed entranced by my adventure. Suddenly, smoke poured into view and Dad gasped, before yelling:

"Oh no – there goes lunch!" He hung up on me quickly and I felt bad for possibly being the cause of a burned down kitchen. Tubby's stomach rumbled loudly just then, so I gave him some of the food I had taken from the ship we had been thrown off by the storm. It all seemed to have happened so long ago. When Tubby's appetite was satisfied, I decided we should look around Hearthome City. We came across this place called Amity Square. Interested, I went to check it out. A girl was sitting behind a desk. She had green hair, pale skin, brown eyes and wore a black top. Using my height to my advantage, I could see that she was also wearing a purple tartan pleated mini skirt.

"Hi!" I said cheerfully. "What is this place?"

"Amity Square; it's like a park where you can walk with one Pokémon that's on this list," she said, showing me the list. I scanned it desperately but there was no "Snorlax". I asked if she would let me through anyway, but the girl refused.

"Sorry, but it's the rule. If the Pokémon isn't on the list then you can't take it with you. Do you have any other Pokémon with you that _are_ on the list?" I've only ever had Tubby, and told the girl this. She looked at me pityingly.

"If it was up to me, I'd let all kinds of Pokémon in. Not even my Pokémon is allowed in! But this is my Saturday – and only – job, so I don't want to do anything that might get me fired." I could understand the girl's predicament, but was still unhappy that I couldn't take Tubby to Amity Square. Everywhere I went, Tubby wasn't wanted! The girl, upon seeing my disappointment, attempted to cheer me up.

"Hey, you're not going to cry are you?" I didn't say anything; I just looked at her sadly. "Aw man!" The girl looked around, checking to see if anyone was near us. There wasn't anyone.

"If you stick around, my shift is almost over and I'll have to shut this place up. I'll take you on a private tour of Amity Square – but only if you promise me you won't cry!" Overjoyed, I jumped over the desk and hugged the girl tightly, while saying "thank you!" over and over again.

"Snorlax!" Tubby added.

True to her word, the girl closed Amity Square when her shift was finished and snuck Tubby and me inside. The sun was setting now, making the field look even more beautiful. There were bunches of flowers planted here and there and in the centre, a fountain with picnic benches either side of it. Further in the distance were these strange huts that looked like they were made from boogers. I told Tubby to stay away from them. The grassy area was surrounded by trees so thick, it was impossible to enter or leave through them. The girl released a Furret before turning to me.

"I didn't catch your name..?" I told her my name and Tubby's too.

"I'm April. And my Furret's called Xena." Now that she was out from behind the desk, I could see that April was wearing black and purple striped tights and black combat boots. April told me about herself: she was nineteen and a disappointment to her mom. Her mom was an Officer Jenny (I knew she looked like one!) but April didn't want to continue the family tradition and be one. April didn't know what she wanted to be, she just knew she didn't want to join the police force.

In return, I told April about my life so far: my mom being a Nurse Joy and Dad being an ex Gym Leader. I confessed that I felt like I had to do something just as good as them or I'll be a let down to the whole family.

"That's not true! You're family will love you no matter what you do. Yeah, my mom's disappointed that I don't want to be an Officer, but she doesn't think I'm a let down. I know she'll be behind me no matter what I want to do and I'm sure your family is the same," April argued. Tubby had fallen asleep and Xena was using his stomach like a bouncy castle. April and I were sitting on one of the picnic benches, watching the water flow from the fountain. It was starting to get dark, and when I mentioned this to April she asked if I had some place to stay.

"I could always book a room in the Pokémon Centre..." I said, unsurely. I knew how busy they got, especially at night. It would be a miracle if I got a room tonight.

"You can always crash at my place if you want. My mom won't mind," April offered. I stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Really??" April laughed.

"Really!" I was ecstatic. I'd get to sleep in the same house as my idol – Officer Jenny! Nothing could be better than this.

I couldn't wake Tubby up so I just returned him to his Pokéball instead. Xena followed me and April out of Amity Square as April lead the way to her house. I kept shooting admirable looks at April when her head was turned: she was like the cool, older sister I never had. We soon arrived outside a small house and April opened the door.

"Mom! I'm home!" she yelled. Officer Jenny appeared, holding a mixing bowl and wooden spoon. She dropped them both when she saw April and embraced her in the blink of an eye.

"April!! I was beginning to think I would never see you again!" Over April's shoulder, Officer Jenny spotted me and let go of April.

"Mom, I was only gone a few days; and besides, I told you I would be back today," April said.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot. Silly me!" Officer Jenny laughed. "Who's your little friend?"

"This is Tizzy. Is it okay if she stays the night here? The Pokémon Centre is full." Officer Jenny said it was fine. I grinned at her. Officer Jenny picked up her bowl and spoon and I saw that she was making brownies. One of Tubby's favourite snacks! Luckily none of the dough had come out of the bowl. Officer Jenny told me and April to relax in the living room while she baked the brownies, but I wanted to help her make them. Officer Jenny thanked me for offering, and then told me I could lick the bowl when she was done with it – just like I had hoped!

When we had eaten all the brownies, Officer Jenny declared it was time for bed and she led me to their spare room. I had a quick shower before going to bed, giddy with excitement: _I was in Officer Jenny's house!

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_**Note: This should have been up AGES ago...but I forgot. Doh!  
**


	6. Serious Training For Once

Serious Training...For Once

"How strong is Tubby?" April asked me. It was the next day and Officer Jenny had already left to go to work so we were alone in April's house. April admitted that Tubby looked pretty strong to her and I felt bad for telling her otherwise. People usually expected Tubby to be stronger than he is because of his size. It wasn't Tubby's fault that he wasn't strong though; it was mine since I hardly ever trained him. April suggested that Tubby and I battle against her and Xena. I was reluctant at first but April talked me into it.

We left the house and April led me to a clearing not far from where she lived and we stood opposite each other before calling out our Pokémon.

"Go! Xena!" To make it seem more dramatic, I twirled around a few times before releasing Tubby.

"Wooo! Tubby...why are you moving?" I asked, dizzy and giggling. April shook her head but laughed all the same.

"Just remember: we're not battling to win, we're battling to train, okay?" I nodded. "You can go first." Tubby looked back at me, waiting to be told what to do. Thinking fast, I blurted out:

"Tubby! Use Psybeam!" Tubby just stared at me and scratched his head. What did I do wrong? I knew Tubby could do a move, I just forgot what it was called. Something Beam...I'd just have to keep trying and sooner or later I would remember what it was.

"Xena, use Quick Attack!" April called. Xena wasted no time, she ran with blinding speed towards Tubby and struck him head-on. If it had been any other Pokémon, Xena's attack would have worked but this was Tubby. Xena's head sunk slowly into Tubby's stomach before it bounced back into shape, causing Xena to shoot backwards. Xena landed on her feet, looking just as baffled as her owner.

"Use Aurora Beam, Tubby!" Yeah, maybe _that_ was it. Tubby got slowly to his feet and locked his gaze on Xena. I couldn't help jumping around in excitement. He was actually going to attack her! I'd remembered the move at last. I wanted to cheer out loud at my success.

I guess I had acted too soon; the next moment Tubby yawned and sat back down heavily. I groaned in frustration. What was that move called?? April told Xena to use Thunderbolt, and she clenched her small hands in tight balls and shot electricity at Tubby. This time, Tubby was able to feel the attack and it did some damage to him. I felt really bad for letting him get hurt – why hadn't I told him to dodge it? – and yelled out another move for him to try.

"Try Ice Beam, Tubby!" I had a really good feeling about this one. It sounded familiar. Tubby lay down flat on his back. Maybe I was right and he was just tired..? But then, he wouldn't ignore me like that if I was right. April raised an eyebrow at me.

"Does Tubby even know any moves?"

"Of course he knows a move! I just...forgot what it was," I admitted shamefully. April told me not to worry, that it would come back to me when I was ready.

"Do you want to take a break while you remember?" she offered.

"No, I think I'm more likely to remember under pressure." We continued battling. While I was racking my brains trying to remember, I decided that the best I could do was think outside of the box.

"Tubby! Belly Flop her!" I yelled. Tubby looked at me, then slowly got to his feet and made his way over to where Xena was. Before he could fall on to his stomach on top of her though, April ordered Xena to use Dig to go under the ground. _Darn. Almost had it._

"Tubby, use Solar Beam to attack her!"

"Snorlax!" Tubby complained. I couldn't blame him. Even I knew most moves were ineffective when a Pokémon was underground; but hey, I was desperate. Xena started to come out from underneath the ground and April told her to use Quick Attack to go faster. As soon as Xena had resurfaced, April ordered her to use Hyper Voice. It clicked into place then. It wasn't Psybeam, Aurora Beam, Ice Beam or Solar Beam. It was in fact...

"Hyper Beam!" Tubby opened his mouth an orangey-yellowy light shot out of it and hit Xena; she was knocked back by the shear force of it. Tubby's Hyper Beam lasted for ages and I got a look at April's face on the other side of the attack: she looked aghast. When Tubby finally finished his move, Xena was unconscious at April's feet. She returned Xena to her ball and looked at Tubby with admiration.

"So he _is_ strong," she whispered. As much as I loved Tubby I didn't actually think he was strong, it was probably just that Xena was weak.

"Hey, your Snorlax looks cool! Can I battle you?" a young boy said, coming out of nowhere. He was with two other boys of around thirteen and they all looked really excited. I didn't want to lose to a little kid but I didn't see anyway to get out of it so I agreed to have a battle with him. April excused herself and said she was going to the Pokémon Centre to get her Furret healed. The boy positioned himself where April had been standing and released his Pokémon. It was a Chikorita, and he immediately began the battle by telling it to use Growl. I wanted to attack but I couldn't bring myself to get Tubby to use Hyper Beam on the Chikorita, it looked so cute!

"Chikorita, use Tackle and take that over-sized Snorlax down!" he demanded. His friends cheered him on. The Chikorita ran and head-butted Tubby's belly and got stuck, just like Xena had done before. Chikorita's little legs kicked wildly as it tried to escape the softness of Tubby's stomach and I knew that it wouldn't be freed until it bounced back into shape, which it did. The Chikorita was sent flying in the air and landed at the boy's feet, knocked out.

"Whoa..." he and his friends murmured in awe. The poor Chikorita! The boy returned it and thanked me for the battle, before handing me some money. I stared at it, confused.

"Did I drop this or something?"

"No! Trainers give money to the winner after they battle...remember?" he said. I pretended to have been joking. Inside I was going crazy. Money for winning a battle???? Why had no-one told me this before?! I would have focused on training Tubby a long time ago if I'd had known. If I kept winning battles, I might never go hungry again. I usually begged money from strangers and then spent it mostly on food for Tubby – his appetite was something else. When I couldn't beg enough money, I'd usually just go hungry while Tubby enjoyed his meal. Now...things were about to change.

I grabbed a random girl who happened to be walking nearby and challenged her to a battle, sure I could beat her. She didn't look much older than the boys so I figured she'd have an easy Pokémon to beat. Unlike the boy before her, this girl introduced herself as "Rhiannon" and I was shocked to find out that she was actually sixteen! Rhiannon called out a Dodrio. When I saw it, I recoiled in horror. All those extra heads just freaked me out!

"Tubby, use Hyper Beam and don't hold back!" I cried. Tubby obeyed me and shot his bright beam in the direction of the Dodrio. Unfortunately for me, Rhiannon told her Dodrio to dodge the attack just in the nick of time and it avoided being blasted by Tubby's only move.

"Dodrio, use Tri Attack!" As the creepy Pokémon advanced, I was at a loss at what to do. What the heck was a Tree Attack?? Each head of the Dodrio opened its mouth and I could actually feel my skin crawl so I shut my eyes.

"Dodrio!"

"Snorlax!" When I thought it was safe, I opened my eyes again. Dodrio was on the floor, its eyes spinning. It was...unconscious? I asked Rhiannon what had happened and she told me that Tubby had used Hyper Beam on its own accord.

"Wow! Tubby, you ROCK!" I said, hugging him as best I could, what with the width of his mid-section. I thanked Rhiannon for the battle and then held out my hand expectantly.

"Is that it?!" I demanded staring at the small amount of money she had given to me. Rhianna's mouth dropped open, and then she brought her hand back and attempted to slap me. Tubby saw this and stepped forward. He trailed his tongue over Rhiannon's small body, grossing her out enough to leave in a hurry. I shot Tubby a look.

"Did you just learn Lick?" I asked him.

"Snorlax!" he answered cheerfully.

"Well done!" I congratulated him and gave him an extra large chocolate bar that I had been saving for a special occasion. He ate it in one gulp. I noticed that it was starting to get dark by now so I told Tubby that we should start heading back to April's house. Tomorrow we'd start on our journey again, but right now I didn't think it would be wise to start. Before going there though, I got Tubby fully healed at the Pokémon Centre so that he would be at the peak of his health for the next day.

April looked relieved to see me and apologised for not coming back.

"I saw my dad and he wanted to talk...again. Am I forgiven?" she asked.

"Of course, silly!" I replied.

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**Note: Well, next chapter Tizzy finds that Azurill and forgets Tubby :O How could she do such a thing? (Seriously...how??? How am I going to write that??? I guess you'll have to wait and see ;]) Til then, ta-ra!**

**Crazy Amazing x  
**


	7. Tubby Has Competition

**Note: Yay! I'm so happy I managed to finish this before I leave for New York on Monday! Hopefully I'll finish the next chapter too but you never know how things are going to go...Enjoy + Merry Christmas! :)  
**

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Tubby Has Competition

"Goodbye Tizzy – and good luck!" Officer Jenny said warmly, hugging me. I thought I would explode with happiness. I could hardly believe my luck – Officer Jenny was hugging me! I'd never felt more delighted in my life. She eventually let go of me and I turned to April.

"Promise me you'll come back to visit?" she said. I assured her that I would, and we hugged. Tubby and I walked away from our new friends, waving at them until they were out of sight. I felt sad at having to say goodbye but I knew we'd see each other again; we'd promised. The first thing I did was stop off at the PokéMart and buy a few necessities. Now that I had money, buying things was surprisingly easy. Tubby and I hadn't gone far from Hearthome City when we came across a round blue ball – at least, that's what I thought it was at first. I soon came to realize that it was an Azurill. It was so cute but it was sad: its little face was drowning in tears. I bent down to ask it what was wrong.

"Azur azur RILL!" it cried. Taking pity on it, I picked up the small defenceless Pokémon and cradled it in my arms like a baby. Tubby pulled on the back of my shirt, trying to get my attention. I waved him away, focusing on attempting to cheer up the Azurill. Tubby tugged on my clothes again and this time I pushed his big paws away. I pulled funny faces at the Azurill and sang "Billy Brown" in an up-beat tone. The Azurill seemed to like this and stopped crying, giggling and laughing instead. I grinned triumphantly and put the Azurill back on the ground.

"Well, now that you're feeling better I've got to be going. See you around maybe! C'mon Tubby, let's go." Tubby and I continued walking. With every step, I heard something weird. It sounded like the Azurill. I shook my head. It couldn't be! I'd left it in the wild.

"Az-ur az-ur a-zur," it was chanting happily. I turned around and there it was, following behind Tubby and me. I was surprised it had managed to keep up, what with my long strides and Tubby's big feet.

"Hey little guy, you can't follow me! You have to go back to your family; they're probably wondering where you are right now," I advised it. The Azurill looked crestfallen.

"Azur..." it complained disdainfully.

"Do you...do you want to come with me?" I asked, unsure whether that was what it wanted. There was no doubt left when it started speaking excitedly when I finished speaking. The Azurill wanted to come along with me and Tubby. "Well, okay!" The Azurill cheered and jumped up; if I hadn't caught it in my arms then I feared what would have happened to it. The Azurill made itself comfortable in my embrace and I showed him to Tubby.

"Look Tubby: a new friend!" Tubby didn't look impressed by Azurill's small size. I looked down at the happy Pokémon. "Hey to make it official, I should give him a nickname, shouldn't I?"

"Snorrrr," Tubby said monotonically: he sounded bored.

"Boring you, am I?" I asked sarcastically.

"Snorlax!" he agreed at once. I pushed at his soft arm playfully and went back to thinking of a good name for the Azurill. He was so small, like a little pip that I sometimes saw in an apple if Tubby didn't eat it whole (which was a rare occurrence). Suddenly, I had the perfect name!

"I'll call you Pipin." Pipin giggled joyfully and I took it as a sign that he liked his new name. I cuddled him – he was just so adorable!

"What do you think of his name, Tubby?" There was no answer. I turned around.

"Tubby??" My big, lovable best friend was nowhere in sight. _He probably smelt some food. He'll be back._

Rather than get lost looking for him, I decided to stay where I was and wait for Tubby to get back. While I waited, I played absentmindedly with Pipin. He seemed to enjoy the attention and I found myself wondering why he had been all alone. Didn't Pokémon this young usually have a family to take care of them or something?

Then again, what did I know? I had no idea until recently that trainers could get paid for winning battles against other trainers.

I played with Pipin for so long that it slowly dawned on me that maybe – just maybe – Tubby hadn't smelt food. Maybe he was...

"Azurill!"

...jealous? As I didn't own a watch I had no idea how much time passed as I sat there and played with Pipin, but I guessed that it was a really, REALLY long time. Eventually though, Tubby reappeared with Rina and Sky, who begged me to take him back. This shocked me a little; as if I would refuse to have him! I quickly apologised to him for making him feel unwanted and Tubby forgave me instantly. He then started speaking to Pipin and it seemed like they were introducing themselves properly to one another.

"Thank you for finding my Tubby. He got a bit upset when I caught Pipin and ran off. I don't know how to thank you!" I said gratefully to the two shorter girls. It came to my attention that the last time we'd seen each other that weird Pokémon Cresselia had teleported us apart. Sky muttered something that I didn't quite catch.

"Well we have to go. Make sure you look after the baby Azurill. Bye-bye," Rina said quickly before dragging Sky away. That was odd. They were such strange people, Rina and Sky. I decided that I liked them. As Tubby, Pipin and I were walking we soon came across a familiar face.

"Emma!" I greeted cheerfully. Her head spun around and she eyed me from head to toe. Her Marowak stood defensively at her side. I glanced around but to my dismay Andy didn't seem to be with her.

"Tizzy..." she said unenthusiastically. "I see you caught an Azurill."

"His name is Pipin!" I said proudly. Emma scoffed and her Marowak turned up its skull-covered nose.

"Nicknaming Pokémon is so lame," she said. I ignored her comment and asked about Andy. For some reason, this amused Emma. She grinned slyly as she answered.

"Last I heard he was in Canalave City. Why are you so interested in where he is, anyway?" I felt my cheeks flush red and Emma laughed cruelly at me.

"I knew it! You like him, don't you Tizzy?" she asked accusingly.

"Well I...he is quite cute," I faltered. To my amazement, Emma's cruel expression softened when I admitted to liking her cousin. Her Marowak approached Tubby and they appeared to have a conversation.

"It's okay if you like him, you know. I know for a fact he won't break your heart." I stared at Emma. What was she saying? Did Andy like me too?? Seeing my eager expression, Emma went back on her words quickly.

"I'm not saying he likes you! Just that he's a nice boy. Actually, come to think of it I don't even think he's in to girls..." My heart was racing. Emma had confirmed that Andy was nice! That settled it for me – I had to find him and be with him for ever and ever! I hugged Emma (with difficulty, seeing as how I was still holding on to Pipin) and rushed off, calling Tubby to follow me. After running deep into the wilderness I realized I had no idea where I was going. I shrugged, not bothered by this in the slightest. People _always_ managed to get to where they wanted one way or another. As if Fate was listening to my every thought, two older people in the ridiculous uniform I'd seen days ago with Rina and Sky appeared before me. One was a boy with orange hair and the other a girl with purple hair.

"Hey! You there! We're Team Elemental and we want your Pokémon!" the girl called out.

"Oh, but what if I want to keep them?" I asked.

"Then you'll have to join our team," the boy answered hotly.

"Okay!" I agreed. This seemed to confuse the two and they exchanged glances.

"I think you should know that Team Elemental is a group that strives to be evil. You might be better off just handing over your Azurill and...humongous Snorlax!" the girl said, taking in Tubby's size for the first time. I sniffed indignantly.

"So what; you think I don't have what it takes to be evil?" I demanded angrily. How dare they judge me! I could be evil if I wanted to be. The boy and girl moved away and whispered animatedly with each other before coming back.

"Well, our team isn't _that _bad. We decided to give you a chance, so you'll be sticking with us for a while, okay?" I nodded excitedly. This was going to be awesome! I was finally part of a group of Pokémon professionals – mom and dad would be so proud of me. Things were definitely looking up for me.

"So what's your name, kid?" the boy asked. I told them and then introduced Tubby and Pipin to them as well. The couple released their Pokémon: a Psyduck, Togetic, Ditto and Clefable. For an evil team, their Pokémon didn't actually look threatening at all. Their Pokémon started talking with mine while the boy and girl introduced themselves.

"A fearsome two we surely are

Evil shines within us brighter than a star

Proud to be part of the great Team Elemental

Believe it or not, this suit is a rental

Selene

Saul

Challenge us and you will lose

We'll make you look like fools!"

When they'd finished their little song I clapped for the performance before cleverly pointing out that the last two lines didn't really rhyme.

"Ah ha, it's a work in progress," Saul replied, embarrassed. I decided to let them off, just this once.

"So where are we going now?" I asked them.

"Well our boss is planning something big down in Canalave City. We're taking a helicopter there. If you still want to join then you should come with us," Selene said. As soon as she mentioned Canalave City, I knew that there was no doubt about me going with them. Who cared that they might have been planning something dangerous; Andy was waiting for me!


	8. Team Elemental Aren't All Bad

**Note: OMG! I can't believe I forgot to upload this chapter!! .  
**

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Team Elemental Aren't All Bad

Saul flew the helicopter high above the city and began to take us in the direction of Canalave City. Tubby was too big – again – to fit in the helicopter so I was forced to keep him in his ball for now. Saul and Selene had also recalled most of their Pokémon; except for Ditto. It stayed out, playing with Pipin. Selene and I sat at the back of the helicopter with our Pokémon. Her Ditto transformed itself into an exact replica of Pipin and made the real Pipin laugh delightedly. They looked so sweet playing together.

"Sorry for asking, but why do you want to be part of Team Elemental?" Selene asked curiously, just as Ditto started laughing and transformed back into its usual appearance.

"I'm not that good a Pokémon trainer," I confessed. "I figure that if I experience a wide range of things then sooner or later I'll find something I'm actually good at. Plus you guys are going to Canalave City!" Selene nodded understandably, and then asked what was so special about Canalave City.

"Andy's there!" I gushed, unashamed now. Selene asked who Andy was so I told her about Emma and meeting Andy on the ship and love at first sight. Selene got this dreamy look on her face that Tubby sometimes got when he saw cake.

"That's so romantic!" she said, her eyes shimmering. I grinned. "Saul did something similar to that a while ago." This immediately got my attention.

"Really? What happened?"

"We got engaged..." Selene sighed happily. My eyes landed on her left hand but found no ring. Selene saw me looking and sighed again, with regret this time.

"I know..."where's the ring", right? Our uniform code doesn't allow for jewellery," she explained. Her Ditto sneezed, taking on the shape of a blue Pokémon I'd never seen before.

"Clever Ditto!" Selene praised. "You look just like Manaphy!" Before I could ask what the heck a Manaphy was, Saul announced that we were landing in Canalave City. When we were all out I let Tubby out of his Pokéball. He seemed glad to smell the fresh air again. Selene and Saul discussed something quietly before turning to me. I couldn't help noticing that they were holding hands.

"Tizzy, we've come to the decision that you just aren't right for our team. You're too young. Come back in a few years time and we'll hook you up then," Saul smiled at me.

"This way, Team Elemental won't get in the way of your relationship with Andy," Selene beamed. I felt tears prickle in my eyes. They were being so nice to me! Overwhelmed with happiness, I lunged forward and enveloped them both in a massive hug. Tubby joined in and picked us all up in his strong arms and Pipin jumped on my head to get involved too. It was a very emotional moment that was ruined far too quickly.

"Hey you two – stop hugging and get over here! We're going to catch Manaphy!" a young woman also wearing the Team Elemental uniform called to Selene and Saul. She was standing next to a young Japanese man who I assumed to be her partner. I told Tubby to put us down and he dropped us, oblivious to the chaos he caused by doing so. Selena landed heavily on top of Saul with Pipin and me following suit. Poor Saul was crushed underneath us all and I got off Selene as fast as I could. She helped her fiancé get to his feet before saying goodbye to me. Saul patted my shoulder and Selene blew me a kiss.

"Ebony, tell the boss we're coming!" Saul yelled as the other couple ran off. Tubby and I turned around and I realized we were standing outside a Pokémon Centre. Pipin climbed into my arms and I headed towards the entrance of the Pokémon Centre. I couldn't remember the last time I'd called my parents.

"Wow Tizzy, you caught an Azurill?" Dad said in amazement. I grinned at him and Mom.

"Yup. His name is Pipin." Pipin jumped up and down in my arms, saying hello. "So how is everything over there? How is Sunshine getting on with her Teddiursa?" Just then I heard an almighty crash and a Teddiursa cry, accompanied by a two year old girl roaring. Mom and Dad grimaced.

"I better go clean up whatever it was they broke this time..." Dad muttered before disappearing.

"Your sister and her Teddiursa are just fine, thanks Tizzy. They seem to get up to more mischief than we can handle right now," Mom said stressfully. I felt bad; after all it had been me who had given the Teddiursa to Sunshine in the first place. However, when I tried to apologize, Mom brushed it off.

"Her Teddiursa makes her happy, which is what counts. You and Tubby were ten times worse, you know." I stared at her incredulously. Me and Tubby were worse than Sunshine and her Teddiursa?

"No way!" I denied. Mom laughed and said way. I wanted to ask what exactly we got up to when we were younger but just then a kid behind me tapped my shoulder and asked if I could hurry up. I wanted to tell him to get lost but one look at his face and I knew that I couldn't do it; there were tears in his eyes and he had several bruises on his face. I quickly said goodbye to Mom and told her to give my love to Dad and Sunshine and turned to the boy.

"What happened to you?" I asked, concerned. He sniffled something about Team Elemental stealing his Pokémon and I was about to ask for more details when a Nurse Joy announced that there were only a few rooms left so if anyone wanted to reserve one they better do so fast. I didn't want to spend my night sleeping outside so I dashed over to the counter and saved a room for myself. When I got back to the phone, the boy was nowhere to be found.

"Snorrr-lax!" Tubby whined. He pointed at a poster of a bed and mimed snoring. I realized that with everything that had happened today, Tubby was exhausted. I looked down at Pipin and he yawned back at me.

"Excuse me, but can I leave my Pokémon somewhere where they can get some rest?" I asked the Nurse Joy. She replied that there was and took Tubby and Pipin to a room full of Pokémon whom were all fast asleep. I then left the Pokémon Centre in the hope of finding Andy. He didn't look to me to be a serious trainer for some reason but I decided to check the Gym regardless. I poked my head in through the door and saw that there was a battle going on – but Andy wasn't around. I slipped back out, unseen. The next place I went to look for Andy was the Canalave Library.

I checked on every floor of the damn building but Andy just wasn't there. I was so angry! Emma had probably lied to me about where Andy was. Fuming, I made my way back to the Pokémon Centre as it was getting late. I'd look once more in the morning before moving on to another city.

*

"You feeling refreshed?" I asked Tubby and Pipin the next day as they came to join me. They seemed to be more energetic than they had yesterday which I took as a good sign. Looking around the city with Tubby at my side and Pipin in my arms, I was confused because it appeared to be deserted. Where was everyone? A noise over by the Canalave Library caught my attention and my head snapped around in that direction to see what was happening. I stood across the bridge where it was and saw my friends Selene and Saul by the library with a lot of their team members. I could also see Rina and Sky and it looked like their Pokémon were attacking them. Rina and Sky had their backs to me and didn't see me but Selene and Saul did. They signalled for me to stay where I was and I dutifully obeyed. Their faces looked deadly serious. Rina and Sky looked like they were in real trouble though, so to distract everyone I told Tubby to use Hyper Beam in the sky.

"Tizzy?" I spun around and there was Andy. Without giving another thought to Rina and Sky and their sticky situation, I abandoned them in favour of Andy. I went up to him and said hi.

"Er, h-hi," he stammered. I don't know why he was so nervous. My friendly face was inches from his own, in an attempt to make him like me. Andy took three large steps back.

"Wh-what brings you to Canalave City?" he asked anxiously.

"You of course!" I grinned. Andy pulled on the neck of his red shirt in an agitated sort of way. I wondered briefly if he was feeling okay.

"Yeah...Emma called me yesterday to warn – I mean tell me you wanted to see me." Andy gulped. He was so cute! He would make the perfect boyfriend. I linked my arm through his and looked down at him adoringly.

"Yes well, now that we're dating..." Andy freaked out, yanking his arm away from mine. He turned away from me and began sprinting as fast as his legs could go. He wanted to play kiss-chase! I fumbled for a Pokéball and quickly put Pipin inside it. Things could get ugly and I didn't want him to get hurt. Then I climbed up Tubby's back and sat on his shoulders.

"Tubby, follow my new boyfriend!" I commanded excitedly, pointing in the direction Andy had just gone in dramatically. It was nice to have such a thrilling relationship.


	9. Goodbye Pipin

Goodbye Pipin!

It didn't take Andy long to get tired and slow down. He collapsed in the middle of some bushes and I made Tubby stop a little way off from where Andy was – I didn't want his size to intimidate Andy. I whispered for Tubby to stay low and released Pipin so Tubby could have some company. I stealthily snuck over to Andy's still body and was able to get next to him without him realising. As quick as I could, I threw an empty Pokéball at him in the hope that it would capture him.

"Ouch!" Andy sat up, rubbing his head. _So Pokéballs couldn't work on people..? _Andy's face paled when he saw me standing over him. Before he could run away again, I jumped on top of him and pinned him to the ground. I planted myself on his stomach with my hands holding his arms while my feet wrapped around his legs so that he couldn't escape from me. Andy gulped.

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" he asked. I laughed at him. He was so funny! Pretending to be scared – what a joker!

"I'll do whatever I want to do," I said cockily. "Now while you're lying still, I want to ask you a few questions."

"Q-questions?!" Andy asked despairingly. He looked so cute when he made his eyes go all big like that. I realized suddenly that he looked just like a Pachirisu; just with a longer face. I had a sudden urge to squeeze his cheeks.

"Yep: questions. So...what were you doing in Canalave City?" Andy said that he wanted to read a book in the library about the Pokémon Arceus, and I asked him why.

"I think I s-saw it, just after Team Elemental stole my Pokémon. I **hate** those guys!" I probably had a guilty expression on my face and made a mental note to not mention that I had friends in Team Elemental. Andy just looked so furious at the very mention of their name that I thought it best to keep him in the dark about my newest friends.

"That was mean of them!" I said, feigning disapproval. They probably needed his Pokémon for some special mission or something, and Andy would probably get them back soon. Probably. He agreed with what I said, completely ignorant to my secret.

"All I have left is my Ivysaur, but she's not exactly my biggest fan. Hey, are you going to get off me?" Andy tried, giving me a small smile. I giggled.

"Nope! I'm not done with my questions, silly!" Andy's face dropped. He was so adorable! "Okay; next question. What did Emma tell you about me?" Andy hesitated before answering me.

"She said...she said that you liked me and you want to be my g-girlfriend...and she also s-said you are really stubborn." I grinned, happy that Emma had actually told the truth to him. As long as she didn't tell him anything bad then everything would be just fine.

"But I don't want to be your–"

"Hush now, Andy," I said soothingly, stroking his cheek. Andy hushed like the little angel that he is. "I have one more question left, okay?" Silently, Andy nodded. I took that as a good sign.

"If I let you go, will you run away from me again?"

"Yes." I had anticipated that and had a plan. Without warning, I presented the rope I had been hiding the whole time and managed to tie it around Andy's waist, regardless of his attempts to make a break for it. I tied the rope so tightly that not even I could undo it. Trust me – I checked. Triumphantly, I stood back to admire my work, my grip on the end of the rope tight enough to kill a small Pokémon: I didn't want Andy to get away easily. Andy also admired my work – except his face looked more horrified than anything else.

"Tizzy...please tell m-me this is a joke," he begged. I laughed heartily in his face, before calling Tubby and Pipin over. Pipin immediately jumped into my arms while Tubby inspected Andy, having never met him properly before. Tubby sniffed him, poked him, licked him and eventually hugged him. I was happy that Tubby liked my new boyfriend, and introduced them to each other. I suggested to Andy that he let out his Ivysaur so that she could meet my Pokémon. Andy mimed zipping his lips and locking them closed.

"Oh, so you're not talking to me now?" I didn't expect to have relationship problems so soon but I guessed that this was normal. I was actually excited – this meant that we had a strong relationship already.

"Okay then," I said when Andy didn't say anything. I walked closer to him and pulled his Pokéball out of his bag before he could stop me.

"Hey!" he said feebly, quickly breaking his resolution to not talk to me. Now I saw why it was so easy for Team Elemental to steal his Pokémon. Boys were so easy.

"Ivysaur, come say hello!" I said, letting the cute Seed Pokémon out.

"Ivy!" she said in surprise when she saw Andy all tied up. She was so cute – just like her owner! The pink flower-thingie on her back was really nice too.

"Ivysaur, use your Razor Leaf to cut through this rope!" Andy ordered. I almost panicked but calmed down when she ignored him, preferring to rest her front legs on me so that she could get a better look at Pipin. Pipin, excited to see another Pokémon, jumped out of my arms and sat itself in front of the flower on Andy's Ivysaur's back. Andy looked crestfallen.

"And I thought we had come so far..." he complained. I patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Never mind Andy. You've always got me!" I said brightly.

"Snorrr!" Tubby added. Andy hung his head in despair.

"I should have stayed in Kanto," he wailed.

"Ivy-SAUR!" his Pokémon agreed.

*

"Andy, are you asleep yet?" I whispered.

"I almost was...but then you woke me up," he muttered.

"What did you say?"

"I said n-no..." he hurriedly amended. We had been together for a good few days and now we were sleeping in a Pokémon Centre, our beds pushed close together to I could keep hold of Andy's rope. I wasn't sure what city we were in; things like where we were didn't matter to me anymore. As long as Andy's rope was in my hand I knew that everything was going to be fine. His Ivysaur had really taken a shine to Pipin and would hardly let him out of her sight, although I was beginning to worry about Pipin. Lately he didn't seem as perky as he usually was and I was starting to think that maybe he missed being in the wild. The connection he had formed with Andy's Ivysaur ensured that she wouldn't use Razor Leaf on the rope, which was something I depended on. Would she listen to her master once Pipin was out of the picture? Most of the time Pipin chose to ride on Ivysaur's back instead of letting me hold him, which to me proved that they got along too well. Andy's Ivysaur had the power to make or break my relationship, and she didn't even know it.

The next morning Tubby, Andy, Pipin and I left the Pokémon Centre fairly early. Andy liked to keep his Ivysaur in her Pokéball, probably in case Team Elemental made a surprise appearance and tried to take her off him again. Tubby's stomach growling loudly interrupting the silence that hung over our group. Andy sighed and volunteered to give him his last piece of bread, even though we'd all eaten breakfast at the Pokémon Centre not ten minutes ago. I felt overwhelmed with new waves of adoration for Andy. My boyfriend was so giving!

"Aw, Andy! You don't have to do that for Tubby," I said, handing Tubby a birthday cake I had bought for him yesterday. It wasn't his birthday, Tubby just really liked birthday cake.

"I suppose you w-won't be releasing me for being nice?" he asked hopefully. I laughed and hugged him.

"Of course not!" Andy sighed with disappointment. Every day he asked me to release him and every day I didn't. I got the feeling he asked for the sake of it; surely by now he knew that I had no intention of ever letting him get away from me?

"Snorlax!" Tubby said suddenly, pointing ahead. I looked where he indicated and saw a whole family of Azurills, Marills and Azumarills. Pipin started going crazy; jumping up and down in my arms excitedly.

"I think he wants to go," Andy said. I raised Pipin so that he was in front of my face.

"Is that true, Pipin?" I asked, hoping that it wasn't. Pipin squealed, and even I couldn't deny that he wanted to join them. I sadly set him on the ground. "Go on then. Have fun with your new family." Pipin kissed my leg before scampering off where he was accepted immediately into the group. I didn't think losing a Pokémon would feel this sad. I turned my back on Pipin, my eyes watering and felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I looked back to see Andy standing close behind me, a look of concern on his face.

"Don't cry, Tizzy," he said. I just couldn't help it – first Pipin left and now Andy was being so nice! I started to wail loudly, causing Tubby to put his paws over his ears. Andy looked panicked for a moment, and took a deep breath before he _kissed _my cheek_._ I stopped crying in an instant, my cheeks blushing.

"Oh, Andy!" I quickly wiped my face with my hands and flung my arms around his neck.

"O-oh...what have I done?" he whispered to himself. With an extra spring in my step, I bounced over to the nearest tree and carved our initials into the bark with a sharp rock. **T.H-J 4 A.A**. Andy read it out loud, confused.

"Tizzy Harrison-Joy for Andy Aldington!" I explained happily. Andy groaned.

* * *

**Note: Well aren't you just the luckiest little ladybird! I managed to write this before I zipped off to New York on Tuesday. Yes, I know I said Monday before but my mum had it wrong. Enjoy my lovelies! Leave me Merry Christmas reviews? No? Ah well, I tried :)**


	10. It's a Date

It's a Date

"Weeeeeeeee," I cried as Tubby ran as fast as his stumpy legs could take him through the trees. Andy hung on to Tubby's head for dear life, screaming as the wind whipped past him. He didn't seem to notice when I held his hand to comfort him. Tubby suddenly made contact with something, causing our form of transport to jolt unexpectedly and Andy slipped from his position on Tubby's back. Fortunately for him, I still had hold of his rope which prevented him from falling to the ground and hurting himself. I looked around to see what Tubby had hit but instead found Rina. I told Tubby to stop so we could say hello and slid off his back expertly.

"Hi Rina!" I said, hugging her tightly. I then noticed the sour-faced girl standing next to Rina and decided to say hi to her too. I thought it best that I act really friendly towards her so she could smile, and wasn't disheartened when she didn't hug me back. Rina, always the kind peace-maker, formally introduced her friend Rikki to me. I smiled at the curly-haired blonde encouragingly.

"So who's your friend?" Rina asked. I was glad to have an opportunity to show off my new boyfriend to my friends, and did so happily.

"What the heck?! He doesn't look like your boyfriend; more like a boy who wants to leave because he shouldn't be with you." When Rikki said this, I just knew she was jealous of Andy. She probably fancied him. I'd have to watch her from now on; I couldn't lose Andy to her. I could see why he might like her though: she was really pretty like a Vulpix. Any boy who resisted that must be crazy. I knew I had to distract Rikki from the handsome face of my boyfriend Andy so, thinking quickly, I said:

"This is my Snorlax!"

"No. Really?!" Rikki said. _Yes! My distraction worked!! _For some reason, Rina started giggling. I hoped she wasn't trying to flirt with Andy. Rina then tried to pull Rikki away, saying something about Pastoria City. They didn't get very far before Rina asked Rikki if she could cook. I threw my hand in the air to get their attention.

"I can cook!"

"Really?" Rina asked hopefully.

"Nope!" I couldn't believe she had thought for a moment that I could cook. I always bought my food (or borrowed it or stole it...). I laughed hysterically at the thought of me cooking. Andy – probably hypnotised by her blue eyes – stepped closer to Rikki so I tugged on the rope and forced him to stay by my side. Andy offered his cooking skills to them; he was _such_ a kind-hearted person!

"We're starving!" Rikki said. Andy got started straight away, pulling his cooking utensils from his bag. It didn't take him that long to cook everyone lunch and I sat on Tubby's soft stomach to eat mine, since Tubby was lying on his back. He was really tired after eating so much – today he had eaten three whole cakes, twelve cookies, five pies, six bowls of noodles and the front cover of my magazine. That was a lot, even for Tubby. Rikki kept asking questions about Andy's life which annoyed me but I knew I had to let him have some space to make friends – **just** friends, mind you. When Andy told them about what Team Elemental did to him I kept quiet, especially when Rina went on about how they were after Sky and Mew. It was like someone said "and...Cue overreaction": Rikki jumped up and pumped her fist in the air.

"I swear in the name of Arceus I will help you get your Pokemon back! I heard about what those jerks put Rina through and I hate them even though I've never met them... But still! We will find them!" I felt a bit taken aback when Rikki said she hated them. She didn't even know them! I wanted to defend them but I knew that Andy wouldn't want to talk to me ever again so instead I said:

"That means if you're going to help Andy Pandy we will have to travel with you guys! Yaaay! Hear that Tubby? We get to be with Rina and Rikki twenty four seven!"

"Snorrrr..." Tubby mumbled. His belly vibrated underneath me, causing me to giggle.

*

"There isn't much to d-do here..." Andy said. We were in Pastoria City at long last, and I had to agree with Andy that it looked a little empty. Rikki had repeatedly told him to speak up more and she was starting to get on my nerves; why couldn't she leave my boyfriend alone?! He was with me, not her. She should just stop trying to flirt with him right in front of me.

"Well, I want to check out the Great Marsh. There is apparently a few rare Pokémon and there is one in particular I'm interested in." Rikki said to everyone.

"That sounds cool! Me and Sparky might just tag along." I saw this as the perfect opportunity to separate Andy and Rikki, at least for an hour.

"Well me and Tubbykins certainly won't be coming along. It's too muddy in there and I don't want to ruin my shoes! I might just go and play or something like that! And where ever I go, Andy goes," I said snootily. Someone had to remind Rikki who Andy was with. I flounced off, dragging Andy behind and with Tubby following us. We ended up not going anywhere in particular; we sort of just slowed to a stop. An idea came to me spontaneously.

"Hey! Why don't we have a picnic?" Andy agreed with this idea and since we didn't have a blanket we just used Tubby's belly. He was such a useful Pokémon. I poured two packets of cookies in his mouth to keep him happy before turning to Andy.

"Do you think Rikki's pretty?" I blurted out. Andy looked surprised.

"D-do I...what?" he asked, playing dumb. I repeated the question slower and Andy appeared to be amused.

"It's not funny!" I wailed, pushing his arm. I accidently pushed him too hard and he went flying, almost falling off of Tubby's stomach. I pulled the rope and soon Andy was sitting next to me again.

"Sorry," I apologised shamefully.

"I'm u-used to it." I grinned sheepishly at him. "Rikki is a fairly pretty girl." My heart plummeted to the ground. I felt nauseous and sad all at the same time. I _knew_ he liked Rikki. She was so clued up about being a trainer and she wasn't too tall and she probably didn't create chaos for her family every time she visited and she didn't have to tie people up just to get them to stay with her...Tears fell from my eyes and on to the sandwich I had been about to eat. _Great,_ I thought. _It needed salt anyways._ I didn't care that it was going to get soggy.

"Oh dear god please don't cry! I hate it when people cry...I couldn't say that Rikki isn't pretty because she is. Tizzy, _**please**_ stop crying!" Andy begged. If this was his attempt to make me feel better, it wasn't working. I cried harder, the sandwich dropping from my hand and to the ground. As quick as a flash, Tubby had eaten the sandwich. At least it made him happy! He was never upset about anything. _Tubby_ never had boyfriend troubles.

"Oh for goodness sake! Tizzy, if it makes you feel any better I think you're ten times as nice as Rikki. I'd choose you to be the one holding me against my will over her any day."

"Huh?" I looked at Andy, my lip quivering. Andy quickly looked away from me.

"I don't care if Rikki is pr-pretty. She's not nice, like y-you," he said quietly. I brightened immediately, gasping with delight.

"Please don't hug me!" he pleaded desperately, although it was too late; my arms were already wrapped around his neck. It was possibly the nicest thing he had ever said to me. We soon resumed our lunch date – because that's what it was – and when we were finished went back to the Pokémon Centre to wait for Rina and "pretty" Rikki to get back. They did eventually but went straight upstairs to shower. Rikki got down first and wasted no time telling us what had happened in the Great Marsh: how Nicholas had showed up, acted all snotty and then...

"...caught the Tropius?" Andy asked.

"Yep; he's such a jerk. I really wanted it," Rikki said bitterly. She looked really down about losing out on the Tropius (although why she wanted it was a mystery to me. Those things were scary) so I offered to rob Nicholas to get it off him.

"We could get arrested for that..." Andy, ever the angel, pointed out. _Ah, but only if we get caught!_ He clearly had an issue with stealing Pokémon so I decided to just pout at him rather than saying what I was thinking. Rina appeared then, with Sparky on her shoulder. _Hold on – didn't it use to be a Pichu?! _I started to ask Rina about Sparky but then someone mentioned food and Tubby went into hunger-mode even though he had just eaten. We made our way to the Pokémon Centre canteen and I ordered two portions of food: a small one for me and an extra-double-mega-large one for Tubby. I sat next to Andy, making sure there was hardly any space in between us. I couldn't forget what he had said to me earlier. I couldn't contain myself: every so often I would burst out with "I love you" and I would get Andy to say it back to me. It was so sweet.

And then it happened. When we were all finished eating, Rina and Rikki went into the Pokémart and Andy asked if I would release him because he didn't want to spend the rest of his life being dragged around by me. I couldn't believe him. After what he had said to me earlier, there was no way he could do this to me!

"Come on Tizzy! We aren't even dating! Just let me out of this rope. I won't run away I just want my personal space back!!" he yelled. Luckily I was used to these little outbursts of his and knew just how to handle them. I played ignorance.

"What was that?" I said innocently. Andy sighed.

"N-nothing," he muttered. I noticed that Rina and Rikki were out of the Pokémart by now and they led the way to the Pastoria City gym. When we were outside a boy who I cleverly guessed to be Nicholas challenged Rina to a battle. I zoned out as he and Rina batted verbally back and forth with each other like a pair of school children until someone uttered the magical word "festival". This instantly perked me up. Nicholas walked off when he was finished with Rina and I asked if we could go to the festival, knowing they would most likely have candyfloss. How I **loved** candyfloss!! Oooh! And those machines with the Pokémon plushies!

* * *

**Note: Argh! I'm so stupid!! I forgot to upload a chapter so I had to replace things and upload things and arggghh. It's called "Team Elemental Aren't All Bad". Argh!!!  
**


	11. Team Elemental STILL Aren't Scary

Team Elemental STILL Aren't Scary

Or

Sky Is Mean

I woke up in a bad mood. I had eaten too much and then ridden the Ferris wheel one too many times causing myself to throw up and I didn't manage to get any Pokémon plushies in the claw machine. As far as I was concerned, going to the festival had been a waste of time. Rina was nervous because today was the day she was going to battle her chubby rival Nicholas. Rina hadn't really trained and was quite tired so she shouted at me when Andy and I were arguing, saying that we were getting in her way. I didn't hold a grudge because I knew she was just scared of losing to that meanie Nicholas. When Nicholas finally arrived he led the way to a big field near the Pokémon Centre and my Andy volunteered to be the referee. He was so brave! Rikki told me to stand with her and Andy so that I wouldn't get in the way of the battle. As if I would! Rina started stressing over which one of Rikki's Pokémon she should borrow. Didn't she ever relax?

"Pick one at random," I suggested. It was the obvious thing to do. Tubby congratulated me for having such a great brainwave with a generous lick on my cheek which almost knocked me over. Andy started explaining the rules and it was boring, but I liked to hear the sound of his voice. Nicholas released an Espeon – a Pokémon that I thought was cute in a mysterious kind of way – and Rina decided to put her Staravia against it. Staravia wasn't cute, but it was funny because it looked like a little man in a business suit and an oddly shaped hat when I squinted. They started fighting and pretty soon, the mysteriously cute Espeon won the battle.

From then on it was all downhill and Rina lost. She was really upset about it and Tubby gave her a hug to cheer her up, even though it didn't work. At the Pokémon Centre she looked so depressed, like a Gloom with less dribble, so I suggested that we go to this amazingly cute cake shop I had seen yesterday. Everyone was okay with this idea so we went there. Unfortunately, Tubby couldn't fit inside the stupidly small front door, no matter how hard I tried to push him in. In the end we had to eat outside but that didn't stop the cakes from tasting wonderful! I loved them so much I bought loads – and some to take with me. When we finally staggered back to the Pokémon Centre, Rina was told that her Pokémon were in really bad shape and needed a lot of rest. Rikki and Andy got all excited about a play area in the centre for Pokémon and the left their Pokémon there. I wanted Tubby to have some fun too but he was too big for the play area. Nurse Joy suggested that I leave him in the garden so I did and Tubby promptly fell asleep under the shade of a large tree.

With our Pokémon happily doing what they wanted to for once, we decided to look in the gym. When we were about halfway there we were stopped by a man and woman in Team Elemental uniforms.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a while," the woman smirked. I knew I'd seen her somewhere before! The man too! They were friends of Selene and Saul. Excited by this news, I gladly offered the man a cookie from the packet I had been saving for myself. The woman slapped his head just as he was about to take it from me.

"Karumo! We are the bad guys; we don't accept cookies from little girls with odd hair!" she yelled. I shrugged and skipped back to my friends. More for me! Rikki tried to barge past Karumo but he pushed her with such strength that she fell on her butt. It was actually quite funny to watch.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Rikki got ready to smash Karumo's face in (I assume) but Rina held her back. She was such a kill-joy. Karumo and his girlfriend released their Pokémon: a Blastoise and a Flygon. _Well, six can play at that game._ I reached in my bag and grabbed Tubby's Pokéball. I couldn't hold both my bag and the ball so I had to let go of Andy's rope.

"Go Tubby! Let's kick some butt!" I said, and threw his ball. It hit Karumo in his stomach but that was all that happened. I realized that it was a red apple, not Tubby's ball. _Oh crap! Andy must think I'm an idiot!_ I giggled and ran to collect my precious apple, hoping that Andy hadn't noticed. When I stood up, I was face-to-face with Karumo's Blastoise. I was mesmerized. I hadn't realized before just how much it looked like a Snorlax. The Blastoise smiled at me.

"Pretty turtle..." Karumo came up to me and shoved me so hard that I fell on the floor, just like Rikki had. It wasn't funny this time though. It actually hurt quite a lot and I wanted to cry. Andy helped me to my feet, which made me forget all about crying. He was such a great boyfriend. Rikki yelled at Karumo for pushing me and I swelled with pride. She was being nice! Maybe she didn't want to steal Andy from me..? Ha! Who **wouldn't** want to steal Andy from me! He was a stud.

"I'm getting bored and it's a bit cold so let's just proceed with our mission given to us by Terry. We have lost track of Sky and we have no clue to her whereabouts so we basically have to capture Rina and get information out of her," Karumo said proudly. His girlfriend's eyes became wide and her face went slightly red with anger.

"You moron! You just told them our whole plan!" she hollered. I think she wanted to hit him again, although she managed to hold back.

"I did?" Karumo asked dumbly. He was so sweet when he wasn't pushing innocent little girls on the floor and hurting their butts. Karumo's wife ordered her Flygon to use Hyper Beam and I was reminded of Tubby. I wondered if the Flygon's Hyper Beam was as strong as Tubby's was. Karumo told his very nice Blastoise to use Earthquake and the ground started to shake a lot, which made everyone that wasn't on Team Elemental's side fall over. My butt hurt even more! The Hyper Beam shot nowhere near us and Karumo said it was just a warning. Yeah right! The Flygon was blind.

Sky came out from an alleyway with a Ninetales (that bore a remarkable resemblance to Rikki, I might add) and a posh-looking girl who had with her a Piplup and a Beffa...or Meffa...or something. Sky and Rina started arguing about kissing someone and it got me thinking: me and Andy had never kissed before. I mean we had on the cheek, but anyone could kiss on the cheek. Grandma Lola did that to me whenever she saw me! I wanted to know when we were going to do it _on the lips_. Thinking of the (handsome) devil, Andy intervened to try to get Rina and Sky to stop arguing.

"We are still here you know!!" Karumo's very angry wife screamed. Everyone stared at her. It was funny, I had almost forgotten she was there. "You can all go as soon as Sky agrees to come with us. So Sky; what do you say?" Wow. Karumo's mistress almost sounded sweet.

"Yeah, right. I wouldn't come with you losers in a million years! I know what you want from me: Mew. I don't know if you already know this but I captured Mew," Sky announced proudly. She was so lucky: Mew was adorable! Sky released Mew and Kaurmo's mistress ordered Blastoise and Flygon to grab her. Sky told Mew to teleport them all to Snowpoint City and in a flash Team Elemental were gone. Rina and Rikki came over to where I was standing with Andy and Rikki said that we could go now. Finally! I was beginning to get bored.

"Not so fast! Do you honestly think I'm going to let you go after what you said?" Sky sounded like one of those evil villains on TV who won't let the good guy escape the evil liar. I didn't like it.

"Look, we have places to be and things to do. Rina and you obviously aren't friends anymore so just drop it and get on with your life," Rikki told Sky. Sky raised her eyebrow and asked Rikki who she was. When Rikki told Sky her name, Sky asked who Andy was.

"Oh come on! His name is Andy. Does any of this matter?!" I noticed that Rikki forgot to mention that Andy was my boyfriend. Was she trying to hint to Sky's friend that he was up for grabs? Sky started to eye up Andy and I was shocked – surely she was too young for him?? I knew I had to distract her so...

"Hiya Sky! I have missed you! Do you want a cookie?" I made a step forward so Sky could reach the cookie but Rina held me back.

"I haven't missed you." Sky was so rude now!! I'll bet it was the influence of that snobby-looking new friend of hers. Her friend introduced herself as Alice-a-warden or something equally boring and then Sky started to say all this stuff to her about what she and Rina had been through, making it sound like something from a TV soap. They all started arguing while Andy and I just watched them. I'm not sure about Andy but I felt left out. We sat a few feet away from them and when they started to fight I pulled out my copy of Sinnoh Weekly and started to read the embarrassing moments section of the magazine. I loved that part. Some people were so unlucky.

"Oh my gosh!!" I squealed and jumped up after just reading the funniest story I had ever read in the magazine. It was about this girl who found out her crush liked blondes so tried to dye her own her blonde – except it came out bright orange! Her crush didn't like it and called her a carrot head. It was hilarious. I dropped to the floor and rolled around laughing. When I got over it, I came across something that I found very interesting. It said in the magazine that I as supposed to get a free lollipop with that issue. Where was my free lollipop?!?! I urged Andy to do something but he ignored me and continued to watch the fight. I rolled my eyes. Boys!

Finally the fight was over and Sky and Alice-a-warden stalked off. We all gathered around Rikki who I guess had been doing the fighting. We noticed several other kids who had been watching the fight. Morons. Sinnoh Weekly was way more interesting. That reminded me: the lollipop. When we started heading back towards the Pokémon Centre, I got Andy's attention.

"Andy?" I said, putting on my best serious face. Andy also made a serious face. We matched!

"Yes, Tizzy?" he asked.

"Tomorrow we shall sue that shop man for stealing my lollipop that I paid for!" Andy sighed.

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**Note: Sorry for the previous mix-up. I've calmed down now XD I just freaked out when I realized I hadn't uploaded it...Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	12. Trust: The Most Important Thing

Trust: The Most Important Thing

"Tizzy, are you asleep yet?" Andy whispered from his bed.

"I almost was...but then you woke me up," I muttered.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, darling," I said sweetly. Andy sighed.

"I-I have something for you. It's in my bag." Curious, I lazily padded over to Andy's bag. It was completely empty – he liked to unpack it for some reason – except for a small, flat Thing. I pulled it out and saw that it was a rectangle. Just what I always wanted? I stared at it in silence for a couple of minutes until Andy suggested that I turned on the lamp. When I did, I saw that it wasn't just a rectangle. It was a picture. In the picture, I was sleeping with Pipin curled up on my head. We both looked so peaceful and happy; dreaming whatever the heck it was we were dreaming.

"Aww Andy! I love it," I said, and hugged him. He smiled.

"I thought you would like something to remember him by. I know how much you cared about him." I stared at the picture some more and stroked the part where Pipin was.

"You know, I took pictures of you while you were sleeping too," I confessed quietly.

"Come again?" Andy asked. I giggled. He couldn't be too mad now that he had done the same thing. I got up and rummaged around in my bag until I found the thick stack of photographs I had taken of Andy while he was sleeping and showed them to him.

"This is when we just left Canalave City...This is the night you found that hair in your soup and got sick...Ooooh! This one is my favourite. You don't usually do this but there must have been something special about this night." I proudly showed Andy the photograph I took where he was sucking his thumb. He was so sweet! The real Andy's face grew red and it looked like he was about to explode. He looked nothing like he did in his picture. He sat up and faced me.

"Tizzy! This is a...Well it's flat out creepy! You can't take pictures of me anymore while I'm sleeping, okay??" I nodded quickly. He seemed really angry.

"What about Rina and Rikki?" I asked.

"What about them?"

"Can I still take pictures of them?" I persisted. Andy looked horrified.

"No! That's just wrong. You can't take pictures of anyone while they're sleeping unless they ask you to!" I hung my head in shame.

"It was just one time anyway. You had the duvet over your head and I was bored of taking pictures of the plain cover," I tried to defend myself. Andy ran his hand through his messy black hair. I liked seeing him like this – without his hat, Andy was like a completely different person. I told him so and he blushed.

"Oh, well. It was my dad's, you see and..." Andy went on and on about how his dad would be so proud of him for blah blah blah. I got back in my bed; Andy was boring me. From the sounds he made, I guessed that Andy was doing the same as I did. In a while, Andy started to snore gently so I knew he was sleeping. I tried to copy him but I realized that I hadn't turned to lamp off. I heaved myself out of the bed and walked to the lamp. On the shelf next to it, I saw a pair of sharp scissors. _Where did they come from?_ They had given me an idea though. It was a crazy idea and would probably have serious consequences. Should I go through with it..? I looked at the picture of me and Pipin, sticking out of my bag. I didn't have a choice. I picked up the scissors, the coldness of the metal against my skin surprising me. With firm determination, I moved to Andy's bedside and carefully lifted back the duvet. He twitched in his sleep but he didn't wake up. Slowly, I reached for the rope around his waist and slipped it in between the scissors. I shut my eyes tightly. Was this really what I wanted to do? What if he ran away from me?

_Snip._

*

Rina had just beaten Crasher Wake and on our way back to the Pokémon Centre we came across two ladies handing out leaflets. Andy took one and read what it said out loud to the group.

"_**Trainers, do you have Pokémon that you think are strong enough to win a tournament? If you do then come to Veilstone City on Thursday and enter **__**ONE **__**Pokémon in our tournament that will truly test your Pokémon's skill. The tournament will start at exactly twelve in the afternoon but participants are reminded to sign up earlier because there aren't many places. The winner will receive an evolution stone of their choice."**_

"We should enter that! It sounds like loads of fun," Rina said.

"Well I know I'm entering. It will give me a chance to have a few battles with Ivysaur," Andy added. Since Andy wanted to do it, then so would I!

"And what about you Rikki?" Rina asked her.

"Nah I think I will give it a miss. The prize doesn't appeal to me." Andy tried to convince her to do it. Why? I have no idea. _She _wasn't his girlfriend. I became aware that I had forgotten something, so while the others discussed something about Canalave City, I tried my best to remember what it was. Tubby copied me to help. They all stopped talking and looked at me. Then I remembered.

"Oh my gosh! Andy, we have to go and sue the shop man for stealing my lollipop!" I yelled, and dragged him back to the shop where I had bought Sinnoh Weekly. After a bit of arguing with the shop keeper, we came to an arrangement. He gave me a blue lollipop and I was never allowed back in the shop. Who knew justice could taste so sweet?

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**Note: Short chapter but ah well, you got like a triple update so stop complaining! Just in case you were wondering, I'm back with a vengance! :D**


	13. Rina Is Missed

Rina Is Missed

The day Rina left to go to Canalave City was the most boring day in history. It was even more boring than the day the dinosaurs were born. It was so boring I refused to leave the room until Nurse Joy threatened to call my parents.

"There's nothing to do without Rina!" I complained.

"You've said that every five minutes in the past hour," Rikki growled. Tubby growled back at her.

"But it is true," Andy defended me.

"I guess," Rikki sighed. We were sitting outside the cute little cake shop we had visited after Nicholas had wiped the floor with Rina in their battle. I was lying with my head on the table, too bored to even order the Cheesecake Supreme I had claimed as my favourite. Every so often I would let out a loud sigh to remind Rikki and Andy how much fun I wasn't having. Three days until Rina got back. Three long, gruelling days. I didn't think I could last that long! I might just die of boredom. It would be a slow and torturing death, that was certain.

"Excuse me, can we have you autograph?" a group of little kids came up to Rikki, brandishing pens and notepads.

"Me?!" Rikki asked incredulously. "What for? I'm not famous!"

"You are on PokéTube! You had a fight with that blonde girl and someone filmed it and now it has three and half million hits," one boy piped up. I sat bolt upright. Three million..?

"What??" Rikki said, shocked.

"Actually, the number increases every second so its much more than that," another boy said. Rikki, Andy and I stared at each other.

"Rikki!!!!!! I'm your number one fan!!!!!!!!!! _Please_, can I take a picture with you?????" a girl who looked around nine came running out from nowhere. On her t-shirt was a picture of Rikki's face (how did she get that?!) and the quotation "You better keep your mouth shut from now on". This excited the group of kids and they all started squealing that _they_ wanted their picture taken with Rikki. Rikki got up and backed away from them, knocking her chair to the floor. The kids started to chant her name and close in on Rikki.

"Tizzy, we have to do something!" Andy urged. He and I stood up and pushed our way through the crowd to get to Rikki, with Tubby following us. I had a sudden brainwave. I turned to Andy.

"I've got an idea!" I clasped my hands together and bent down. "Get up!" I ordered Rikki and Andy. Rikki went first and climbed on to Tubby's left shoulder; Andy did the same but on Tubby's right.

"What about you?" Rikki called. I told her not to worry about me. The kids, angry that they couldn't reach their precious Rikki, started to shout and cry, pushing Tubby's soft stomach. I tugged on his arm and he looked down at me, confused.

"Tubby, you have to chase them, okay?" Tubby nodded and roared. The little kids were scared and staggered back. Tubby ran after them. They ran down the road and turned the corner, Tubby hot on their trail. Even when they were out of sight I could still hear Tubby roaring, the children shrieking and Rikki laughing. I sat back down at the table outside the cake shop and sighed. It was so boring without Rina around! I threw myself on the table and took a nap.

_~Later_

I woke up and everything was strangely quiet. I checked my watch and saw that I hadn't been sleeping for long, although it was long enough to expect Rikki, Andy and Tubby to be back. I got up and stretched, looking around as I did so. The city looked completely deserted. _Where was everyone?_ A small giggle caught my attention and it was then that I noticed there was a baby sitting in one of those car seats next to a large duffel bag. I crept closer to the baby.

"Hello? I think someone lost their baby," I called out to anyone who might be near. There was no answer. The baby saw me and held out its hands to me so I went right up to it and peered into its chubby face. It had tufts of red hair and big, bright green eyes. Its meaty cheeks were covered in millions of freckles. It screeched with delight and pulled my hair. I screamed and yanked my head away from it. The baby laughed and clapped its hands. I wanted to be angry with it but it was just so cute, I couldn't help but forgive it. I picked the car seat up and hauled it over to the table. I then did the same with the duffle bag.

"You know, you're really cute. I should make sure nothing happens to you while your mom's away..."

When Tubby eventually came back with Rikki and Andy still sitting on his shoulders, I was rocking Baby Rina in my arms and singing to her. Rikki and Andy quickly slid down Tubby's arms.

"What the heck! We leave you alone for an hour and you steal a baby?!" Rikki yelled. Andy stared open-mouthed at me.

"I didn't steal Baby Rina! Someone left her on the floor over there and no-one was around," I told them.

"Baby...Rina?!" Andy asked.

"Yes," I said defensively. "I miss Rina soooo much!" Baby Rina hiccupped in agreement and I grinned at her.

"Tizzy, I don't think that's a girl..." Andy said. He was so funny! Of course Baby Rina was a girl. Her name was **Baby Rina**. Rikki rested her hand on Andy's shoulder and shook her head at him.

"There's no point arguing with her. Besides, it's not like we're going to keep...Baby Rina. Let's find a police officer and hand her in. Her parents must be going nuts by now." I agreed that I couldn't take care of Baby Rina for ever – her parents probably wouldn't like it if she grew up into a life of crime. Not that I was a criminal, I was just prone to doing criminal activities. Like yesterday, I stole a packet of bubblegum from the shop I wasn't allowed back in. Rikki led the way around the city only to find that I was right – everyone seemed to have disappeared. There wasn't even a Nurse Joy in the Pokémon Centre.

"Where IS everyone?" Rikki demanded, stamping her foot in frustration.

"Aaaah!" Baby Rina added. Awww!

"Maybe this has something to do with it..?" Andy suggested, showing us a rushed note on the front desk in the Pokémon Centre.

_**Evacuate immediately! A wild Snorlax is running loose in the city!!**_

I started to laugh. I laughed so hard that I had to give Baby Rina to Andy, in case I dropped her. Rikki and Andy looked at me like I had lost it. My sides began to hurt because I was laughing too much. I forced myself to calm down and wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes.

"Don't you get it? They think Tubby is a wild Snorlax!" I explained. Andy and Rikki got it and even chuckled a little.

"We should find everyone and tell them that it's safe to come back," Andy advised. We exited the Pokémon Centre, me still pretty hysterical. Tubby a wild Pokémon – it was hilarious! Andy was still carrying Baby Rina and Rikki was dragging her chair behind her. Tubby was in charge of the duffel bag.

"Jeez, who knew a baby could be so heavy?" Andy complained. He sniffed. "And smelly! I think we need to change Baby Rina's nappy." There was silence among us. All at once, we started to protest. No-one wanted to be the one to change Baby Rina. Ewww. That was just gross.

"Don't you have a baby sister?" Andy asked. I said I did.

"So you do it!" Rikki ordered.

"No way! I don't even know what a nappy looks like!!" I argued. There was no way I was touching _anything _that smelled as bad as that did. It was disgusting. The three of us started arguing again and Baby Rina began to cry; she probably didn't like that our voices were so loud. Rikki blamed it on me and Andy.

"You two are the couple here. So you should be responsible for the baby!"

"I'm not Tizzy's boyfr–"

"SNORRRR-LAX!" We all froze. That cry did not sound like Tubby's – at all. It was menacing and much deeper than Tubby's. I prayed that it was Tubby playing around. I knew that it wasn't though, because Tubby was standing in front of us and the roar had come from behind. Several thuds could be heard and I knew the Snorlax was coming closer. Maybe if we stayed still, it wouldn't notice us..? I felt its hot, sticky breath on the back of my neck and I cringed.

"Don't make any sudden movements," Andy whispered wisely. I whimpered. When was this going to be over..? Just then, Baby Rina sneezed loudly.

"SNORLAX!"

"Run!!!" Rikki yelled. This never would have happened if Rina was still here.

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**Note: Moar ha ha! I love cliffhangers. And reviews! ;)**


	14. And Out Pops a Secret

...And Out Pops a Secret

We couldn't run very fast because Andy was carrying Baby Rina and he didn't want to drop her. Well, I say we but I really meant Tubby, Andy and me. Rikki dropped Baby Rina's chair, sprinted off and was gone before any of us could even blink. So much for friendship. Andy and I shuffled in a running-away-but-not-actually-running kind of way and pretty soon the wild Snorlax has us cornered. Our backs were pressed against a wall and there was nowhere to run to. It looked like our number was up. I realized that Tubby had managed to give the wild Snorlax the slip and I hoped he was coming back to save us. The wild Snorlax was much taller than Tubby, although Tubby beat it in width. The wild Snorlax was dirty and rugged and if looks could kill then we'd all be buried.

"Andy?"

"Y-yeah?"

"If we don't make it out of this alive, I just want you to know..." I inhaled what could be my last breath before confessing. "I lost my toothbrush last week and since then I've been using yours."

"What?! That's disgusting! Oh gawd! Why would you tell me this NOW??" Andy freaked out, coughing and trying frantically to rub his tongue with the sleeve of his jacket. I don't think it tasted very nice, since his face didn't look so happy afterwards. The Snorlax advanced.

"Don't you have anything to confess to me?" I asked quickly. This could be our last conversation together. Andy rocked Baby Rina, who by now had started to cry again.

"Uhm...Well, actually, I've been trying to tell you this for a while now. I–" He was cut off by a loud cry from the Snorlax. It staggered forwards and almost fell over – which would have squashed us – but it managed to stay upright. It turned around to look for whoever had pushed it and probably sit on them, and it was then that I heard Rikki's voice. I couldn't actually see her as the Snorlax's body blocked my line of vision.

"Monferno, use your Flamethrower again!" From what I could see, the Flamethrower was a direct hit and Rikki cheered. The Snorlax was far from beaten though. It roared angrily and started after Rikki and her Monferno. Finally, Andy and I were no longer trapped and I turned to him, relieved.

"That was close!" I said. Andy didn't share my relief.

"It's not over yet. We should help Rikki in case she gets hurt," he insisted. I sighed heavily. We'd only just gotten out of trouble, why would we be so stupid as to demand trouble returned? Andy didn't see it that way though, and shoved Baby Rina in my arms, muttering that if I wasn't going to save my friend then he would. With those final words, Andy chased after Rikki and I was left holding Baby Rina and feeling a little left out.

"What do you think I should do?" I asked her. My friends were out there, battling for the safety of others and here I was, cowering in a corner with a baby. It wasn't very heroic.

"Aju taa hoom!" Baby Rina babbled. I nodded like I understood.

"But if I stay here and wait until they need me most, I'll look like a real hero!" I'd made up my mind. I would wait in the alleyway until it was clear that my friends needed me. I stood there for quite a while, impatiently tapping my foot. Baby Rina began to get heavy. At long last, an ear-splitting scream rang out and I knew that this was the perfect moment. Excitedly, I followed the echoes of the scream and it led me to the middle of the city where I found the most worrying scene. Rikki was standing confidently, her Monferno, Gastrodon and Ambipom at her feet, each with fierce expressions. Andy was standing a little way off from Rikki, his Ivysaur poised and ready for her master to give her the next command. And between them, Tubby was happily sitting on the unconscious wild Snorlax.

I'd missed it. The moment that would have made me a hero had passed and I wasn't there to intervene. I felt like a failure – which I was. Nothing I ever did turned out good. Slowly, citizens of Pastoria City emerged from the sanctuary of the trees and gathered around the fallen beast and its slayers, whispering to each other in amazement. I stared at them all, dumbfounded. I still couldn't quite believe I had let a great opportunity pass me by. A woman approached me and thanked me graciously for taking good care of her little William.

"Who??"

"William. Our son," her husband said, joining her with the duffle bag and car chair in his hands. "We were in such a rush to evacuate; we only realized we left William behind when we saw him sitting in his seat next to your table. We were too scared to come after him though, as the wild Snorlax was loose." Baby Rina's – I refused to think of her as "William" – mum took her from me and she and her husband walked off happily. Without Baby Rina weighing me down, I felt suddenly alone. I looked over at Tubby and saw that he was surrounded by probably the entire population of Pastoria City. Rikki and Andy walked over to me; both of them were breathing heavily and had slightly red faces.

"Wow Tizzy! You missed a great battle! Rikki was almost squashed by the Snorlax but I managed to distract it with Ivysaur long enough for her to release two more Pokémon and she ordered them to attack the Snorlax. Then, when its back was turned I got Ivysaur to use Energy Ball and this made the Snorlax turn around _again_ and–" Rikki cut Andy off mid-sentence

"Long story short, we realized that little moves like _Energy Ball_ weren't strong enough given the size of the opponent, so Tubby stepped in, used Body Slam and here we are." I gasped.

"Tubby learned a new move?!" My eyes welled up with pride. Tubby was such a good Pokémon – he was learning moves all by himself! I was so happy for him; I crushed Rikki and Andy in a bear-hug. Rikki groaned.

For the rest of the day, people would stop us and offer Tubby food, thanking him for saving their city. I'd never seen him so happy. A few people even acknowledged Andy and Rikki for trying to take down the wild Snorlax but mostly they concentrated on Tubby. No-one even looked in my direction. Everyone had forgotten about Rikki's PokéTube video, that was for sure. Tubby was like a celebrity. I noticed that the girl who had declared she was Rikki's number one fan had changed her t-shirt and now it had Tubby's round face, smiling dreamily. It made me wonder...how was she making those t-shirts??

"Tubby, you're the best!" a little kid yelled as he left the Pokémon centre, clutching the napkin Tubby had used to wipe his mouth after devouring an entire Swirly Rainbow cake from our favourite cake shop. It was the seventeenth he'd received today (and counting). I guessed it was my fault for mentioning loudly that it was his favourite. We were sitting around a table, doing absolutely nothing. None of us could come up with any ideas of what we could do so we were just lounging around; watching people of all ages give Tubby gifts to show their appreciation. A photographer came and asked if he could take Tubby's picture, while a reporter wanted a quote from me on how wonderful I thought Tubby was. I was surprised that he had paid me any attention at all and after encouragement from Andy (not so much Rikki), I gave the reporter what he wanted.

"Tubby is an amazing Pokémon and I love him so much. He's so generous and loyal; I just don't know what I'd do without him."

"Snorrr!" Tubby added, making everyone laugh. When the photographer and reporter left, Nurse Joy came over to us.

"You Snorlax is a hero. People will remember what he did for us for years to come. Please, take this as a token of my gratitude," she said, and handed me a small sweet. Rikki gasped.

"Is that a Rare Candy?!" Nurse Joy confirmed that it was, while I asked what was so rare about it. Being with Tubby, I'd seen sweets of every kind and I had never come across anything that looked like this before. The packet was such a vibrant blue and it seemed to glow in my hand.

"It makes your Pokémon stronger. You're so lucky, Tizzy!" Rikki said. I certainly didn't feel lucky. What good would a Rare Candy do for me? Tubby was already stronger than any Pokémon we'd come across. I mumbled thanks and the Nurse Joy skipped off, returning to her desk. I shoved the sweet deep in my pocket and promptly forgot all about it. It hit me then that before Rikki had rescued me and Andy from the wild Snorlax, Andy had been about to tell me something. I asked him about it and this reminded him of the whole toothbrush incident. He gargled his bottle of water in his mouth and spat it into a nearby bin before satisfied he was "germ free".

"Do I even want to know..?" Rikki asked, effortlessly arching one eyebrow. Andy shook his head.

"So what was you going to tell me, when we thought we were going to die?" I badgered Andy. He looked at me strangely.

"I-I wanted to tell you a long time ago, but you never l-listen..." he began.

"We're listening," Rikki said, suddenly interested. Andy gulped.

"That's what I'm afraid of..." he murmured. "The truth is...The reason why I never wanted Tizzy to think of me as her boyfriend...Well...You see, the thing is..." he babbled on.

"Oh just spit it out!" Rikki yelled, losing her patience with him. Andy took a deep breath before coming out with it. He looked me straight in the eyes, holding my gaze.

"I'm gay."

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**Note: Dun dun dunnn! Who saw that coming?! (Well, I did...) I'm glad I managed to get this chapter out sooner than I thought I would, so I'm happy. Things are a bit tough at the moment but writing fictions helps me forget :)**


	15. Lost And Found

Lost and Found

I hadn't seen Rikki or Tubby in two days. I tried to refrain from thinking about _him_. Tomorrow was the day of the tournament we were supposed to enter together but I knew now that was impossible. For one thing, I didn't want to speak to _him_ ever again and for another, I was irresponsibly, hopelessly lost.

When _he_ had told me his big secret, I had run out of the Pokémon Centre without thinking and the next thing I knew I was surrounded by thick trees without my bag or a single clue as to my whereabouts. And I was all alone. My shivering had nothing to do with the wind that had picked up in the time it had taken me to get out of breath. I sank to my knees, pushing them into the dirt and threw my head in my hands. I cried for ages. I cried because I was lost and didn't have any supplies to aid me or Pokémon to comfort me. I cried because I had seriously hurt myself when I dropped to the ground. But mostly I cried because the boy I loved could never love me.

When I had exhausted myself and couldn't cry any longer, I came to realize I was now lying face down in the dirt. I couldn't shake the feeling that I belonged there, in the dirt. _Let's face it,_ I had thought. _I'm not good at anything – I probably never will be. What use am I, really?_ I knew Tubby would be better off without me; him learning Body Slam by himself proved that theory. I was just holding him back from reaching his true potential. Rikki, Rina or _he_ would do a much better job of training him than I could even dream of doing. Sure, I'd miss Tubby something terrible but it was what was best for him. I guessed I owed him that much.

"Bui?" a curious black nose came snuffling in my face. I felt too much of a loser to do anything about it. The snuffling persisted until I was forced to take action and roll away. This startled whatever it was that was investigating me and it ran off into the trees. I was now on my back, staring up at the sky. It wasn't even night yet, although the black clouds made a convincing argument. I wondered if my friends were worried about me. They probably were, if they realized I didn't even have my bag with me. I was the dependant one in the group; I could barely make myself a bowl of cereal without help. At least they wouldn't have to put up with me anymore.

The first splat of rain hit me square on the forehead and I didn't even have time to be shocked before it was followed by another and another and then it became a downpour. I was instantly drenched. Something tugged on the sleeve of my t-shirt and I looked up to see a young Buizel, selflessly trying to get me out of the rain.

"Leave me alone," I croaked. "I'm a lost cause." The Buizel paid me no mind and if anything, tried even harder to pull me. I sighed, knowing it wouldn't go away unless I went with it. So I did, and that was how I found myself cowering in a dent in the cliff side near the sea. The dent in the cliff couldn't be called a cave as it was too shallow to even lie down in. I sat in a huddle for two days whilst the Buizel swam a little off from the dent and caught fish for I-don't-know-what, as I never saw it actually eat any. The Buizel seemed to have taken pity on me the other day and now it wouldn't leave me alone, no matter how many times I told it to.

"Buizel," it said, as it sat and joined me in the dent. The sun had already gone down for the day and we sat side by side, listening to the sound of the waves splashing on the beach. It was nice; peaceful. It made me feel calm. What it didn't do was distract me from the fact that I was absolutely STARVING. The Buizel had tried to feed me berries but they tasted positively horrible. I mean, I was used to not eating for a bit when I was too poor to buy food and too unlucky to come across an easy target to rob but I usually managed to get food the next day. I was starting to lose my mind. _I wonder how sand tastes..? Maybe if I make it look like a slice of Cheesecake Supreme, it will taste like it..._

"Bleurgh!" I spat the sand out and vigorously rubbed my tongue with the back of my arm. I shuddered: sand did **not** taste anything like Cheesecake Supreme, not matter how hungry I was or how much I tried to convince myself it did. The Buizel snickered at me for being so stupid. Story of my life! I wasn't unaware of the fact that everyone saw me as a thick girl who didn't know any better. I knew enough to know that I was a little bit ditzy, but before I left Pewter City, my school report had all been verging on excellent. My teacher, Miss Keen, described me as an "intelligent young child with an inquisitive mind" and said that with focus, I "could go far in life". Although, she did also write that I could be "too trusting at times, needs to learn to be more reserved". I missed Miss Keen. She had been such a nice teacher, really kind and gentle. Not like my teacher before her, Mr Wolf, who had been a vicious tyrant.

Thinking of school, it made me realize that Miss Keen wasn't the only person who I missed. I also missed Emma, even though we weren't exactly as close as we used to be. Seeing her recently brought back all the good times we had together; she had been such a good friend when we were growing up. I missed Sunshine, and I felt terrible when it dawned on me that I hadn't even been around to see her first steps, or words or even smile. If I carried this up, I might miss everything in her life that was important. Of course, I missed my parents, although the freedom I got without them near me was enjoyable. I missed them fussing over me, worrying that I wasn't getting enough calcium in my diet, that sort of thing.

And now, in these two long (not to mention hungry) days, I came to miss Rikki. She was becoming one of my greatest friends and I liked to think I was growing on her. Missing Rina was a given; I had been missing her ever since she left to beat that gym leader in Canalave City. Life on the road wasn't as much fun without Rina.

"Bui?" The Buizel busily snuffled its nosey nose in my pocket and it pulled out a small, bright blue wrapper. It presented the blue object to me triumphantly and sat back, waiting for me to react. At first I wasn't sure what to do, after all: what could you do with a rare candy? My stomach rumbling solved that problem for me. I skinned the wrapper off the sweet and shoved it greedily in my mouth. It was surprisingly chewy – and it tasted unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was a mixture of blueberry, mint, caramel and something else that I couldn't quite identify. Tubby would have loved it.

"Bui bui!" the Buizel chattered excitedly as I chewed. As soon as I swallowed the rare candy, I felt something change inside me. Almost as if something snapped into place. I felt more everything –witty, brave, happy, sensitive, powerful, speedy.

"Wow, we made it Lapras! You were great; I knew you could do it," a familiar girl's voice sounded from just outside my line of vision. I sat bolt upright, my sudden movement startling the Buizel so much that it ran off, deserting me.

"I hope we find her soon," the girl's voice continued. My head felt as if it was clearing up after a cold, a result from the rare candy no doubt. "Hey, what's that..? Oh, just a Buizel in a hurry." I was certain the voice belonged to who I thought it did and I stood up with the intention of seeing for myself if it was. I was greeted by the sight of the silhouette of a Lapras and its trainer standing proudly next to it, admiring the scenery. The moonlight bounced of the waves, making it look like the light was dancing on the shore. I stepped closer and accidently kicked a rock, which rolled all the way down the beach and quietly plonked into the sea. The Lapras and its trainer's heads turn around at the same time, their eyes invisible to me as the light was behind them. I was at a disadvantage. They could see who I was but I couldn't see them. What if it wasn't who I thought, but a tough trainer who was prone to aggression? I started to back away...

"Tizzy!" the trainer called out and ran towards me. When she was close enough, she turned sideways so half of her face was bathed in the light from the moon.

"Emma Aldington," I smiled. To my surprise, Emma hugged me tightly.

"Everyone's been so worried! Andy called me earlier to say you went missing without your bag or your Pokémon for two whole days! Your parents are going nuts."

"Everyone..?" I asked, uncertain about who was included with this.

"Everyone," Emma confirmed. "Me, Andy, a Rina and a Rikki, your parents and your sister, Tubby, Miss Keen, practically our whole class back in Pewter...You know the police are out looking for you?"

"They...what?!" I said stupidly. I couldn't quite believe that so many people were concerned about me. I felt so cared about when I heard that. Emma nodded, her Lapras sliding closer to us as she spoke.

"Yup. When Andy called your parents and told them what happened, they called the police. Everyone knows that without a Pokémon you're vulnerable to virtually every kind of unfortunate situation imaginable – your Pokémon can save your life!" Emma's Lapras nodded smugly in agreement, puffing out its chest.

"So what now?" I asked, biting my lip. I had no idea running off like this would cause so much commotion. I couldn't imagine what my parents must be going through. It had been so stupid to run without anything with me! Emma grabbed my arm.

"I'll take you to Andy." I yanked my arm out of her grasp.

"No." Emma looked at me. "Come on: its late, its dark. People are most likely sleeping right now. I'll go back tomorrow."

"But–"

"Tomorrow," I said firmly.

* * *

**Note: Hello! How're things? I think I'm going to wait on xPikachu-Princessx to upload the next chapter of _Sinnoh Challenges_ before I even attempt to write the next chapter for this so I know where she's going with this...Yeah, you might be waiting a while XD Hope you enjoyed this chapter in the meanwhile, you may be re-reading it for weeks...(iJoke! Kinda...)**

**Crazy Amazing x**


	16. Seeing Arceus and Egg Sitting

Seeing Arceus and Egg-sitting

Everything had pretty much been a blur: seeing my friends, being reunited with Tubby, having an awkward moment with Andy. I hardly had time to take it all in when Emma and her scheming ways got me stuck with Andy – alone. I didn't even know how it happened really. One moment I was surrounded by my friends and the next I was sitting on a bench next to the boy who broke my heart. I stared hard at my Pachirisu doll in my hands. I had managed to take it out of my bag earlier; I had a feeling I would need it for comfort.

"Ti-Tizzy, I'm really r-really _really_ sorry," Andy began. I shrugged. Of course he was sorry, that was to be expected.

"I did-didn't mean t-to lead you on for a-all this ti-ti-time, hon-honest I didn't!" Andy went on. His stutter seemed to be getting worse the more he spoke to me.

"Uh-huh," I said in a non-committed way. Andy sighed.

"I d-do like you th-though, Tizzy. Yo-you're really fu-funny and gr-great with Po-Pokémon. N-not to me-mention a won-wonderful friend," Andy stumbled on. Something in the back of mind told me to give Andy a break. He was a good person and didn't deserve to go through this. Then again, I was also a good person. Didn't that mean I didn't deserve to have my heart smashed?!

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him clutch his egg to his chest. I was so jealous of him! When Tubby was an egg I knew that I harboured a love for nurturing Pokémon eggs and had craved another ever since. My parents didn't want me to have another egg though, since Tubby and I were always getting into trouble together. Andy must have noticed me eyeing his egg because he stopped trying to convince me that he regretted not telling me his sexuality sooner.

"Do you...Do you w-want to h-hold it?" he asked inquisitively. I lifted my head and looked at him for the first time. His brown eyes looked worried and the bags underneath them suggested that he hadn't been sleeping too well. _Serves him right_. I didn't want to accept his offer purely out of spite – I would do _anything_ to cuddle that egg of his – and was about to tell him where he could shove his precious little egg when something behind Andy made me stop. It was mostly white and half-hidden by some bushes. It had a gold harness around its body and seemed to be staring right at me. I figured that it was a Pokémon; a dainty-looking one too. Probably a rare one, since I hadn't seen it before. Andy followed my gaze and turned around.

"Oh my god," he whispered. "P-please tell m-me you can see wha-what I see."

"You mean that white Pokémon?" I asked, not whispering.

"Th-that's not jus-just any Po-Pokémon. Tha-that's Arceus!" Andy breathed.

"Arse-who?" Andy swivelled back towards me, his eyes blazing.

"You me-mean you don't know the leg-legendary Pokémon Arceus?!" The look on his face was so astonished that I decided to pretend I was just joking around. It seemed easier than admitting I had no idea what an Arceus was, although something in the back of my mind (that voice was still there??) was telling me that Andy had told me about the Pokémon before. With a jolt, it suddenly came back to me.

According to the legend, Arceus is thought to have created the Sinnoh region and possibly the entire Pokémon world, along with the Lake guardians and the Dragon trio. I guess it was bored or something. Arceus can change forms and types with the use of special plates. It will attack in a violent rampage if betrayed or deceived and holds long grudges if angered.

So basically, Arceus was like a god. Then it hit me. I had just seen a god! I looked back at the bushes but Arceus had disappeared.

"Oh," I mumbled. Andy quickly looked and saw too that Arceus had vanished. "I wonder why it was there?"

"Tizzy," Andy said, his tone of voice surprisingly different – as if something had just occurred to him. "When you were gone, what did you eat?"

"I couldn't find any food, but I did have a Rare Candy," I said. Andy's eyebrows disappeared up into his hat.

"You what?! Don't you know they're only for Pokémon?" he exclaimed. I shrugged.

"I had no other options," I explained simply. Andy mouthed the word 'oh' and was silent. "Do you think it had some weird effect on me? Because ever since I ate it I felt...different."

"Well, it is meant to make Pokémon stronger. Maybe it made you stronger?" Andy suggested. I didn't think so.

"I think it made my personality stronger," I confessed. I had suspected as much ever since yesterday when I ate the small blue sweet. Plus, it made sense in an odd sort of way. Andy nodded as if he understood what I was trying to say (probably not). My Pachirisu plush doll smiled at me in a comforting, we've-been-through-a-lot-haven't-we? kind of way. Andy's egg once again caught my eye. Automatically, my hand reached out for it.

"May I?" I asked, half-hoping Andy would say no. Andy gave me a small smile and handed his egg to me without saying a word. I shoved my Pachirisu plush in my pocket so I could hold the egg more carefully. I cradled it in my arms, loving the smooth feel of the shell against my bare arms. I could just imagine a baby Pokémon sleeping inside the egg and it made me feel all warm inside. I looked up and as if by chance my eyes met with Andy's. I could tell he knew what I knew – we were friends again.

*

The baby carrier didn't cost a lot. Neither did the small box filled with cotton, the matching hat and scarf or the Pokémon baby name book. Actually, the last one was pretty pricey since it contained over one thousand popular names. Andy helped me out money-wise with it. Andy had given me permission to help him look after his egg and I wanted everything to be perfect. We were getting on really well now and I think it possibly had something to do with seeing Arceus. It had been so strange but life was mysterious; I knew that much by now.

Andy was training his Ivysaur and Tubby while I took care of his egg. I had laid out a blanket on the grass close enough so I could watch them but not so close that the egg could be in any danger. The egg was propped up in its box so it could watch them too and I had put the hat on the top half of it in case it got cold. I was sitting cross-legged so that the Pokémon baby name book could rest comfortably in my lap. Tubby looked over at me and smiled happily; I waved to him then went back to my book.

"Aaliyah, Aaralyn, Aaron, Aba..." I mumbled to myself, going through the names one by one. Andy, Tubby and Ivysaur took a break and joined me when I was up to 'Ahava'. Tubby sat down heavily next to me and Andy sat on my other side. Tubby immediately dove into my bag and took the lunch I made for him earlier out, swallowing it whole. Ivysaur sniffed the egg suspiciously before turning her nose up at it as if she wasn't impressed. Andy laughed at her.

"You're going to like it when it hatches, trust me," he said. Ivysaur pulled a face and sauntered off, away from the egg and everyone else. Andy shrugged.

"She'll have to get used to me having a new Pokémon eventually." I picked up the egg and cuddled it possessively. Tubby leaned in to get a better look at it so I held it up for him to see.

"Snorrr!" he said appreciatively, spraying me with crumbs. I dusted them off quickly, giggling. Tubby roughly licked my cheek then, causing me to fall backwards which set Andy off laughing. I sat up straight again and put the egg back in its box where it could rest for a while. I flicked through the pages of the book and opened it at a random page.

"Hey, we could call it Gail," I suggested.

"Uh-huh...and what if it's a boy?" Andy pointed out.

"Oh yeah! Well then we'll just call it..." I flicked through the pages, scanning them for a unisex name. "Happy!"

"Y-yeah..." Andy agreed unconvincingly. Hm, I guess I'd just have to warm him up to the name.

* * *

**Note: Wow, I haven't updated in a long time! School is taking over - so much stress!! No wonder us teenagers are so rebellious and what not...  
**


	17. Midnight Ride

Midnight Ride

I hadn't been able to sleep at all; I kept tossing and turning in my bed. For once, Andy was in a separate room to me and so I hadn't had anyone to talk to about not being able to get some rest. So I decided to sneak downstairs and rescue Tubby and Happy. Since the Pokémon Centre's front door was locked, I had to tiptoe back upstairs and climb out of my bedroom window. The night was fairly warm with just the occasional cool breeze to chill the air. I made sure Happy was wrapped up warmly, of course. There weren't any clouds in the sky, so I took the opportunity to educate the young Happy and also to entertain Tubby. We were lying on our backs, staring up at the beautiful night sky, filled with a billion bright stars.

"You see that cluster of stars over there on the left?" I asked, pointing. Tubby grunted a yes and Happy remained silent – obviously. "That's the Big Dipper. And next to it are the Nachos that go with it!" Tubby didn't get it and Happy wasn't hatched so I laughed by myself. When my laughter eventually died down, I realized how silly I must look. I was talking to a half-asleep Snorlax and an _egg_. Maybe I needed to befriend a nocturnal Pokémon. Too bad I didn't know any.

I was a bit annoyed when I heard Tubby begin to snore very loudly, but then realized that he was probably exhausted from his work out with Andy and Ivysaur earlier. It was kind of selfish of me to have woken him up, now that I think about it. He wasn't used to any kind of work out, let alone Andy's training. He was quite good at training, actually.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I jumped about ten feet in the air. I hadn't thought anyone would be around at this time of night so I hadn't anticipated anyone ask me anything, least of all what I was doing. I hugged Happy to my chest and studied the person anxiously. He was a boy, a head taller than me and he looked slightly older too. He had this thick mass of curly dark brown hair that reached his shoulders and was wearing a thin black leather jacket. A Vespiquen stood at his side, looking adoringly at Tubby snoozing peacefully. On the boy's other side was a dark blue motor scooter that he was carelessly holding up with one hand.

"Uh, I was just looking at the stars..." I said lamely. The boy smiled at me, his eyes crinkling up.

"Cool. Actually, I was doing the same thing." I gaped at him and he burst out laughing at my expression.

"No, I was just training my Vespiquen. I only caught her a few weeks back so I've been working extra hard to get her up to the same level as my other Pokémon." He looked at her and noticed that she was busy gazing at Tubby, which made him look embarrassed and he quickly looked away. Ha! That would teach him to make fun of me, even if he wasn't trying to be mean. At least, I didn't _think_ he was trying to be mean.

"That's my Snorlax, Tubby," I said proudly. I also introduced Happy to the boy and told him that it belonged to Andy.

"So Andy's like what, your boyfriend?" the boy asked curiously. He was so nosey! And he hadn't even told me his name yet, or asked me mine.

"No, Andy's just a friend," I replied, leaving out the part where he was gay. This stranger didn't need to know Andy's business. "Anyway, you didn't tell me your name yet!"

"Well neither did you!" the boy countered.

"My mom told me not to talk to strangers," I said huffily. With a pang of guilt I realized I hadn't spoken to her in a while. I made a silent promise that I would the next day. The boy chuckled, his eyes crinkling up once again.

"TJ Torres. And you?" he said suavely.

"Tizalicious Harrison-Joy, but my friends call me Tizzy." TJ nodded and I took this opportunity to gaze at his motor scooter. It looked so cool – it had this lightning pattern on the sides.

"Hey, you want a ride?" TJ grinned.

"Yes PLEASE!" I said gratefully. I tucked Happy into the crook in Tubby's arm, where I knew it would be safe. TJ placed a black helmet on himself and I noticed two lightning bolts on each side, which matched the scooter completely. He then handed over a plain helmet to me and I eagerly put it on my head. TJ sat on his scooter and I got behind him, gingerly holding on to his waist. He took the scooter around the Pokémon Centre slowly at first, so I could get used to it and then he picked up speed. I loved every minute of it: the feel of the wind ruffling my purple pyjamas; the noise of the scooter; the way TJ felt around my arms...

"OI! GIVE IT A REST! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO GET SOME SLE– TIZZY?!" I looked up at the window that had just opened so someone could yell at us. Eek: it was Rikki! Even from this distance I could see the bags under her eyes and her hair was messier than usual. Oops. TJ stopped his scooter and apologised to Rikki.

"What the heck are you doing, Tizzy?" Rikki demanded, ignoring TJ's apology completely. I mumbled something about having a ride on TJ's scooter and Rikki groaned inwardly, slamming the window shut. I reluctantly stepped away from TJ's scooter and told him that we had better give up for now. TJ agreed with me.

"I should be going anyway; I was supposed to be at home a few hours ago." TJ called his Vespiquen back to him and she flew slowly away from Tubby. I noticed that she had been holding his hand, but didn't mention anything. I retrieved Happy and went back to say goodbye to TJ. He started up his scooter once more, revving it in preparation for his journey. It looked like his Vespiquen would follow him in the air. Then, without warning TJ's scooter shot forward and he called over his shoulder to me:

"_Hasta pronto, bella Tizzy_!"

*

"Why do you want to know if any of us can speak Spanish?" Rina asked the next morning. We were all sitting around the same table in the Pokémon Centre for breakfast. By 'we' I mean me, Rina, Rikki, Andy, Sparky and Tubby. I felt myself flush.

"Well, there was this boy..." I started. Of course, I didn't actually get to finish, since Rikki butted in.

"Don't tell me it was that boy with the scooter?!" she blasted. I confirmed that it was. "ARGH! He woke me up with his noisy scootering and I was having the best dream!! I'm going to kill him when I see him next!!" Rikki clearly hadn't gotten enough sleep last night, which was why she was so cranky. TJ was a lovely person; it wasn't his fault his scooter was so loud. I made a mental note never to let Rikki and TJ anywhere near each other, just in case.

"Ooo, Tizzy! What were you doing with this boy then?" Rina asked, suddenly too interested for my liking.

"Well, I couldn't sleep so I went outside for a bit with Tubby and Happy and that was when I saw TJ and he had a Vespiquen that I think fancies Tubby but anyway TJ had a leather jacket which was really cool and this motor scooter and he took me for a ride on it and it was really fun until Rikki yelled at us so TJ said he had to go home and when he was going he shouted to me '_Hasta pronto, bella Tizzy!' _and I don't know what that means!" I said quickly. Everyone stared blankly at me, trying to decipher what I had just said as I spoke too fast for any of them to understand me. Andy was the first one to figure it out.

"I took Spa-Spanish for three years in sch-school. TJ s-said 'so long, beautiful Tizzy'." My stomach did somersaults. I felt amazing. TJ had called me beautiful! Me! I wanted to scream really loud – so I did.

"Stop squealing and get off the table!! Jeez, you're so embarrassing!" Rikki moaned desperately. I just grinned and hugged her. I was soooo happy: TJ Torres thought I was beautiful! That was good, 'cause I thought he was kind of beautiful too, with his long, bushy hair and crinkly eyes. He was really cool too – he had a scooter! Looking around at my friends, I had the best epiphany ever: today was going to be a rocking day.

At least, I thought that until I saw Andy looking worried.

* * *

**Note: Hello! Sorry it took so long to update, school is really taking over right now since exams are in TWO months. Yikes. I'll do my best to keep posting chapters but I can't promise they will be frequent. Oh yeh, and xPikachu-Princessx has a virus and is sorting that out, and hasn't been able to write or even go on the internet. Just so you know she hasn't deserted her story :P**


	18. An Early Gift

An Early Gift

Or

Reflection

We were on our way to Rikki's friend's house when something unexpected and yet amazing happened. It was really cool, and I think everyone was kind of jealous about it. Tubby was out of his ball, even though Andy warned me he would get tired easily since the walk was really long. But I knew Tubby didn't like being all cooped up, and anyway he was hungry.

We were all pretty tired, so none of us were really making conversation. Then, something blocked the sun and when we looked up, we saw a Pidgeotto soaring through the sky.

"Wow," I breathed, as it dipped and turned, landing a few feet away from us. It got excited when it saw us and trotted happily over. It stopped just in front of me and extended its leg.

"There's something attached to it!" Rina said. I bent down and carefully untied it from the Pidgeotto's leg. It was a pink package and when I opened it, there was a pink envelope and a pink box with a white ribbon around it. I opened the letter first.

Dear Tizzy,

We hope this letter gets to you safely. Your father and I guessed where you would be based on your last phone call, and sent this Pidgeotto to deliver this. You might need to feed it and let it rest for a few hours before it returns to us.

We understand that it might not be possible for you to come home for your birthday, which is why we'd like to say HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY!! We bought you a very special present and we think you'll like it. Sunshine says hello and that she misses you. She also wants you to know that she and Teddiursa have taken over your room and are redecorating. Please don't freak out...

It's so strange to think you're practically an adult now. It feels like only yesterday you were running around the house with Tubby, back when he was a Munchlax. And now you're out in the big wide world with your friends, battling all kinds of people and experiencing things some people only ever dream of. We're so proud of you honey! We hope to hear from you soon,

Lots of love, Mum and Dad xox

When I finished reading the letter, tears were in my eyes. Rina put her arm around me and asked if I was okay.

"I'm great," I said tearfully, pulling the ribbon off of the pink box. It was only a small box, not bigger than a sandwich. I reached for the lid, feeling everyone's eyes boring into me. That was a lot of pressure. I opened the box and nestled in a sheet of baby pink tissue paper was a shiny, hot pink BlukBerry mobile phone. I grinned when I saw it, and squealed loudly. My very own phone! I grabbed it, dropping the box, and dialled my house number.

"Herro?" I melted when I heard Sunshine's voice answer the phone. My friends stood around, admiring my new phone while Tubby and Sparky talked to the Pidgeotto in their freaky Pokémon language.

"Hey! It's Tizzy!" I said excitedly.

"Tizzeeeee!" Sunshine yelled. "Mommy, Tizzy! Daddy, Daddy! Tizzy on phone!!" I laughed: she sounded so happy to hear from me. Mom must have taken the phone off of her because the next thing I knew, I was speaking to her.

"Hello Tizzy. I see you got your present early!" she said.

"Uh-huh. I love it, Mom! Thanks," I replied. We talked for a while about how much we missed each other and when I would visit next (I had no clue) until Dad demanded he speak to me. I chuckled; we both knew how Mom liked to spend hours on the phone.

"Hey, Tizz. How's the journey going?" Dad asked conversationally. I told him it was great and that I was having lots of fun. In the background, I heard Mum say she was going to put Sunshine and Teddiursa down for their nap. I decided to tell Dad about all of my friends, glad they were standing right there so they could hear how much I liked them.

I met Rina just before Sunshine got sick that first time. Her friend Sky was angry at me for something Tubby had done (I didn't listen to her so I still had no idea what) and Rina didn't say much to me that first time. We met again on the ship towards Full Moon Island and we got thrown overboard together. When we met up again after I 'persuaded' Andy to never leave my side, we joined up and began travelling together. Rina was awesome – she was such a good trainer _and_ a loyal friend. I always rooted for her when she had battles.

I explained to him how I met Andy on the ship headed for Full Moon Island, and that he was Emma's cousin. Dad remembered Emma from when we were friends in school, as we were always at each other's houses. I knew I was going to make Andy my friend from the very first moment our eyes met. (I made sure to leave out the part where I had an instant crush on him – Dad didn't like to think about me liking boys.) I didn't see Andy for a while after I got off the ship and I got some help to find him again. We met up in Canalave City and haven't been separated since. Unless you count the time I ran away – which I didn't.

Rikki was Rina's friend from their childhood. She was a bit emotionless at first but then she promised to find Andy's Pokémon and I knew she had a heart. Most of the time she was really sarcastic and superior but I knew she was just putting on a front because she didn't want to show that she actually cared. Like Rina, Rikki was a loyal friend and she was good with Pokémon too: she sometimes took it upon herself to give Tubby snacks. Even though she pretended not to, I knew Rikki liked me being part of the group.

When Dad and I hung up, my friends smiled at me, possibly touched by all the nice things I had said about them.

"Let's keep walking, shall we?" I suggested. Everyone resumed walking, except for Rikki.

"Hold on..." she said, and took my new BlukBerry phone out of my hand. She put it on record and aimed it at each person and Pokémon in our group, grinning wickedly as she did so.

"We can record our journey and then put it on PokéTube later."

"That's such a good idea, Rikki!" Andy said enthusiastically.

"I know," she replied cockily.

* * *

**Note: I'm fully aware that this is a 'nothing' chapter. Oh well, it was sweet. And the next chapter is full of action! Promise ;)**


	19. Safety First!

Safety First!

Rikki's friend wasn't home so we decided to forget all about her and head over to Celestic Town. I wasn't too sure where we were going after that: a Butterfree flew past at the exact moment Rina was explaining it and I stopped listening. Route 210 was so thick with fog that I think we got lost, so it took us ages to get to Celestic Town. I was afraid for Tubby so I kept him in his Pokéball to prevent him from wandering off. Andy and I took turns to carry Happy the egg. Eventually, this guy almost as big as Tubby took pity on us and offered to show us the way to Celestic Town. I wanted to tell him that my dad told me never to let a strange man take me anywhere but the others were so grateful they said yes immediately. I was almost certain he was a serial killer, and walked as far away from him as possible.

Nearly the moment we arrived in Celestic Town, this grouchy old woman demanded that we 'remove' and 'suspicious' man from these crumbling ruins. When we got there, an oddly familiar man was there, talking to himself. All I heard was 'mumble mumble mumble Mesprit mumble mumble Red Chain mumble mumble'; possibly because I wasn't really paying attention to him. When the man turned around, I realized it was that Team Elemental dude, Terry. He was the bad guy! He tried to escape so I said,

"You aren't leaving that easily." I felt like a superhero or something.

"She's right. What are you doing with those legendary Pokémon?!" Rikki backed me up.

"I am simply using them to create an object known as the Red Chain. No harm will be done to them and they will be released once they are of no more use to us," Terry replied indifferently, and walked out of the ruins. Darn! I really wanted to tackle him to the floor. We also left the ruins and the grouchy old woman thanked us for nothing, since we didn't actually do anything to Terry to make him leave. Rina and Rikki then left to book us rooms in the Pokémon Centre. Andy and I got talking about Happy and what Pokémon it could be.

"I hope it's a McMuffin!" I said excitedly. Andy looked at me weirdly.

"That's not a Pokémon, Tizzy..." he said.

"Oh..." I was probably thinking too much about food. It felt like forever since I had eaten breakfast. That was when we noticed Arceus standing behind a bush, staring directly at us. After a short while, Arceus teleported away from the bushes.

"I wonder why Arceus has started appearing in front of us recently. Does it mean something?" Andy asked curiously.

"Nah, it's probably nothing," I shrugged. People probably saw Arceus all the time, right?

"How can you say it's nothing? I don't know a lot but I do know that seeing a legendary Pokémon is pretty rare!" Oh. Rina and Rikki came back around then and we filled them in on seeing Arceus once again. They complained about always missing out (seriously? It was that rare to bump into Arceus?) and Andy suggested that Rina call Professor Rowan and ask him about Arceus, because he insisted that seeing Arceus had some significance. I wasn't too sure but Rina did it anyway. Professor Rowan said something about it being a warning and I instantly went into a silent panic. Were we in danger? How many times exactly had we seen Arceus, anyway?? Tubby! I checked and his Pokéball was still in my short's pocket. He wouldn't be leaving it for a while.

*

When we got to Mt Coronet, Andy made everyone spray Super Repel over our bodies so wild Pokémon wouldn't try to attack us. Every so often, hikers would stop us and demand a battle. I made sure I stayed out of them; Rina, Rikki and Andy could handle battles better than I could and anyway, there was still the chance Tubby could be in danger. When we got to this really foggy part of the cave, the Super Repel must have wore off because wild Pokémon were all over us like Combees on honey. Andy and I ran one way and Rina and Rikki ran the other. I was too scared of the ugly-looking Pokémon to try to follow the others.

"Oh no! We lost Rina and Rikki," Andy wailed.

"Maybe...we...should...try...to...go...back?" I panted breathlessly. I had no idea how fit Andy must have been to not be out of breath. I was worried about Happy's safety so I put it in Andy's backpack, nestled in a small blanket. I kissed the top of the smooth surface before zipping up the bag. Andy led the way back to the foggy area and we went slightly beyond it. Andy froze when we came across Terry and another Team Elemental guy, talking about something serious. We tried to tiptoe away but I tripped over a rock and screamed on my way down to the ground. The two men's heads snapped towards our direction and the one whose name I didn't know smiled at me. He helped me up and introduced himself as Samuel. Andy glared at him.

"Get your hands off of her," he said. Samuel's eyes narrowed and he resumed his position next to Terry. Rina and Rikki came running over and Terry introduced his friend to them. Samuel smiled 100 watts in my direction.

"Looks like Tizzy has a not-so-secret admirer." Rikki smirked. Rina scoffed.

"Are you gay?" I asked. He did look a bit like Andy after all: they both had black hair and brown eyes.

"No. What would make you ask that?" Samuel asked with a confused expression. I looked at Andy out of the corner of her eye and shrugged, muttering the words 'no reason'.

"So, will you allow me to take you out to dinner?" Samuel asked with a smile. I shook my head immediately. Eeeewwww! He was old! Like, twenty-something! He looked really hopeful though, so I decided to let him down in the politest way possible.

"No thanks. You're too plain looking." Samuel looked shocked and was about to reply but Terry held his hand out.

"Enough of this! We have serious business to attend to." They started talking about the Red Chain again (whatever _that_ was) and I only paid attention when my friends released their Pokémon. Finally, some action!

"....We have a plan, don't we guys?" Rikki smirked.

"We do?" I asked, tilting my head to the side innocently. Had this plan been developed when I wasn't listening? No, Andy didn't know anything about the plan either so I was in the clear. Rikki ordered us to stall them and then told her Gastrodon not to let Terry and Samuel go. Andy then made Ivysaur grab Terry using her vines, and Rikki's Kirlia was told to use his Psychic to keep Samuel in place. Before Ivysaur could get a hold on Terry, he managed to release his Blastoise. He was about to grab another Pokeball but Ivysaur's vines wrapped around his wrists. I watched all this, kind of frozen with fear. So much was happening at once!

"No worry, Blastoise is all I need," Terry stated confidently. Jerk.

"Maybe, but he's at a disadvantage. Ivysaur hit him hard with Razor Leaf!" Andy yelled. While keeping her hold on Terry, Ivysaur shot sharp leaves at Blastoise. Blastoise didn't appear to be affected by the attack. Things didn't look good.

"Tizzy, release Tubby now. We need him too," Rikki said, her eyes desperate. Even she could tell things weren't promising for us. I looked at the bulge that was Tubby's Pokéball in my pocket nervously and then nodded slowly. I released Tubby and Rina ordered Sparky to join the fight. It was five against one and the chances of Terry's Blastoise being defeated were still slim. Rina then reached into her bag and pulled out a turquoise stone. It was so pretty and shiny! Rina tossed the stone towards Kirlia, and who caught it with ease. As soon as the stone touched him, he began to glow. Seconds later the light died down and a Gallade replaced Kirlia. Gallade reminded me of uncooked noodles – I still hadn't eaten yet.

"Evolution will not help you. Blastoise, use Blizzard!" Terry shouted. Blastoise opened his mouth and released an icy wind that was combined with small snowballs. The Blizzard attack hit all the Pokemon dead on apart from Gastrodon, who quickly slid into the pool near them. I cringed at the sight of Tubby being hurt and mentally kicked myself for letting him out of his ball in the first place. Ivysaur was knocked out, as was Sparky. Gastrodon got out of the pool and slid over to Rikki to protect her. Fortunately, Tubby wasn't hurt too much and smiled at me to let me know he was okay to carry on fighting. He attempted to punch Blastoise; it had no effect.

"Now use Hydro Pump on the Snorlax," Terry said quickly. Blastoise blasted a powerful jet of water from the cannons on his back, and the water shot towards Tubby. I didn't think; I just did. I jumped in front of Tubby and the water blasted into me, hitting me hard in the chest. I was slammed against a wall and then fell into the pool. Tubby's concerned face distorted by the water was the last thing I remember seeing before everything blacked out.

* * *

**Note: I bet you thought I was being stingy with that short chapter before, right? Well the joke was on you! Ha! Hope you enjoyed this long chapter...You can probably tell by now that the chapters are longest when previously written by xPikachu-Princessx**

**And P.S I have no idea what's going to happen to Tizzy!!!!  
**


	20. Frienship is a Special Kind of Love

**Note: Let's begin nicely, shall we? Sorry it's been so long! It would have been longer but I couldn't wait to have it checked over for mistakes, so if there are any it's down to my impatience. Sorry again? Eh heh heh...  
**

* * *

Friendship is a Special Kind of Love

I didn't know where I was but I recognised the place. Endless sky, floor made of clouds – I was definitely in Heaven. A path of fluffy white clouds led to a large golden gate with a huge lock on it: it didn't look like I was invited. Next to the gate was a small podium and behind that was a blonde boy and a four-legged Pokémon covered in white fur, with a scythe-like tail and a sickle-shaped growth on the side of its head.

"What is _**that**_?" I asked, more to myself than anything. The boy was too far away to hear me anyway.

"An Absol," a voice next to me answered. I hadn't been expecting it and almost jumped right out of my skin. I turned to see Andy standing with me. He looked the same as he always did except there was one major difference. His clothes were all white, from his hat to his trainers. It was soooo weird; like they had been bleached.

"Why are your clothes white?" I asked him, scratching my head thoughtfully.

"I could ask you the same thing," Andy countered. I didn't know what he was talking about so I looked down and sure enough, my clothes had been turned white too. I was seriously spooked. How could this happen? I tried to think about what I had been doing before Andy and I arrived here but my mind was blank. Andy didn't know either so he suggested we ask the boy so we walked (nervously) over to him and his 'Absol'. The blonde boy was really beautiful for a boy, it was almost creepy. He looked positively ageless and was wearing a white robe that was so long it covered his feet. He also had white wings and a golden halo. I wasn't sure that boys usually had halos and when I asked Andy if it was normal, his expression asked if I was crazy.

"Tizzy, tell me you've figured it out by now?!" he asked incredulously. I stared blankly at him. "Come on! The floor is made of clouds, there's a boy with a halo and wings..." I felt like a light bulb had been switched on inside my brain.

"OH! _I_ get it!! I'm DREAMING!" Andy groaned.

"Tizzy," he said softly, putting a hand on my shoulder. "We're both dead." My mouth dropped open. No! I would have remembered if I died, wouldn't I?! Thinking about it properly now, I realized that I _did_ remember dying: the Blastoise using Hydro Pump on me, slamming into the wall, falling into the pool. I remembered everything that had happened. Gosh, I wondered who was looking after Tubby now. I hoped he was okay.

"Welcome to Purgatory," the boy behind the podium greeted us. His Absol blinked at me.

"Purgatory?" I repeated. The boy nodded.

"Yep. This is where we decide where you're going to spend eternity – Heaven or Hell." I gulped. It didn't sound promising. I knew I had done many things that were morally questionable in my life. What if I ended up in Hell and Andy in Heaven – then what? I was pretty sure that would be the end of our friendship. The boy waved his hands in the air and two sets of scales appeared. One weight was called 'good' and the other 'bad'. They were both made of gold and had a small plastic bag of sand on each side of each set of scales. One had Andy's full name engraved on the base and one had my name. I stared at him.

"Your first name is Andrew?!" I asked, horrified. He looked at me exasperatedly.

"What did you think it was??" I shrugged. "Besides, it's not like Tizalicious is any better. It actually sounds made up!" I shot him a dark look and the boy with wings cleared his throat loudly.

"I'm Angel by the way. I've been watching over your lives ever since you were born and I knew your lives would end in the way it did. For this reason, I'm in charge of showing you how balanced – or imbalanced – your good and bad actions are. Are you ready?" I wasn't but Andy spoke for both of us and said we were. I didn't even completely understand what Angel was talking about. Angel poured the bags of sand into each individual weight and for a while both scales were completely balanced. Then, Angel clicked his fingers and the scales adjusted to their proper positions. Andy's scale was weighed heavily on 'good', while mine was only just tipping over to that side. Angel's Absol stared at our scales with interest. It was embarrassing for me to have such a bad rating next to Andy's near-perfectness.

"Whoa! Tizzy? What did you do that was so bad?" asked Andy, his eyes wide. I smiled guiltily: I could think of so many things...

"I can tell you that. At the age of six she kicked her best friend – and your cousin – in the shin for getting an answer right in class; when she was twelve she stole money from a child of ten; and quite recently she joined the organisation 'Team Elemental' regardless of their negative image in order to fulfil her selfish desires." I didn't risk looking at Andy. I knew how much he hated Team Elemental – did Angel _really_ have to mention that part?! Besides, no-one was perfect, right? So it was only fair I had made one or two **minor** mistakes in my life. Angel was just a big fat meanie for outing me like that. I shot him a dirty look and his Absol decided to take it as a personal threat and growled at me. I backed off immediately. Jeez, some people just couldn't take a joke!

I started to bite the nail of my thumb. What if Andy didn't forgive me for being in cahoots with Team Elemental? He might not be my friend anymore, and that was definitely a bad thing since he was such a good friend to me.

"I guess everyone makes mistakes," Andy said slowly. "You know what, Tizzy? I guess I always knew you would have done more bad things in life than most people. You're kind of impulsive like that." I continued to bite my nail. I had no idea where he was going with this and I didn't want to react until I was absolutely sure. I mean, it would look silly if I started bawling when really he didn't mind (oh I hoped so!). When Andy broke into a smile I knew I was safe.

"But you're my best friend, and I wouldn't change you for anything."

"Oh Andy!" I yelled, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Without thinking I pecked his cheek lightly. His eyes darted towards Angel and I noticed his cheeks turn slightly pink. With a jolt, I realized that Andy probably had a crush on Angel. Giggling quietly to myself, I unwrapped my arms from Andy's neck and stood next to him. Angel beckoned for us to follow him and him and his Absol led the way to the large golden gates. He took a gold key out of his pocket – was everything made of gold here?? – and opened the lock. He then turned back to Andy and me and smiled.

"It's clear to me that you two qualify for Heaven. Are you ready?" I was suddenly unsure. Was I ready? How did you ever know if you were ready to step into Heaven? I'd be leaving so much behind: my parents, Sunshine, Tubby, Rina and Rikki...I loved them all so much, and I like to think my feelings were reciprocated. Could I be strong enough to walk away from them all? I looked at Andy for support. He nodded and smiled bravely, offering me his hand. I grasped it and returned Andy's smile. It would be okay, I guess. Andy would be there for me forever. As long as we had each other then we would be fine. Right? I leaned over and whispered in Andy's ear.

"I know you fancy Angel." He blushed again, but more furiously this time. I laughed. Things might just be fun. It struck me that I'd get to see everyone who had died in my life time and before, such as Grandpa Joe. He passed away when I was fairly young so I didn't remember that much about him. But now that I was (*gulp*) dead, I would have the chance to meet him properly.

I really hoped Tubby was okay back in the...living world. I could feel something inside me that stopped me being sad that I wouldn't see him until he died. I mean, I wanted him to have a longer life than I did: Tubby deserved to live long, find love and have a trainer who did more than (over)feed him. But boy, was I going to miss the big guy.

"Please don't make it obvious," Andy pleaded in a hushed tone. I beamed at him.

"I would never dream of it!" I said, as a plan formulated in my mind to somehow set them two up.

Anxious and oddly excited about what was to come, Andy and I walked through the gates of Heaven.

* * *

**Note[point]2: *Sigh* I guess they're officially dead now. (sarcasm) Thanks a bunch, xPikachu-Princessx! lol**


	21. The Other Side

The Other Side

Time had no meaning in Heaven. There was no need for it, I guess. Andy and I could have been there for a few weeks – maybe even a year. I know when people say 'Heaven' they usually think a place where they can be happy for all eternity. This was not so. Heaven was entirely too boring for my liking! Everything was peaceful and no-one yelled at me for running around with Pokémon souls and ruining the flower beds. Well, since the flowers weren't actually there, they didn't actually get ruined but that was beside the point! I had given up. I just lay on a cloud all the time, staring at what was literally nothing until Grandpa Joe came to see how I was doing.

It turns out, in Heaven you can be whatever age you wanted someone to see you as. It was confusing, but I was trying to get used to it. Especially since Grandpa Joe was in his early twenties. He came and sat next to me.

"You don't like it here," he stated. I shrugged. It was Heaven: it would be wrong not to like it. There was only one alternative to it and I didn't think it would be a barrel of laughs, either. I preferred Heaven to the other place but that didn't mean I wanted to be here. Everyone seemed to love it and I was the only exception. I couldn't remember a time when I wasn't smiling – but that was back when I was alive. Now I barely recognised my reflection, the serious expression on my face not matching what I used to look like.

"Where's your friend?" I snorted.

"With Angel." Andy and Angel were always together now. I understood that Angel was what Andy had been missing out on when we were alive but the fact that he seemed to have forgotten about his best friend upset me. Did having a love interest in your life really make anything else seem irrelevant? I was happy that Andy had found someone special, of course I was. Still, I couldn't help feeling left out. I remember when I used to look at Andy the same way he looks at Angel now. How I missed the old days.

"You want to go back to your family and friends, don't you?" Grandpa Joe said with certainty. I didn't reply; I didn't have to. Grandpa Joe knew how much I wanted to leave Heaven and see everyone – alive – again. I wanted to live, breathe and be happy once more.

"I remember when I first got here. I missed everyone so much but because I had a lot of dead friends, I didn't think about missing them so much. Still, I can understand how you feel," said Grandpa Joe thoughtfully.

"At least you got to live your life: I had barely even started mine. I've never even had a boyfriend!" I complained. It was so unfair! I could have totally had a relationship with – for example – TJ Torres who thought I was beautiful, or even become a Pokémon co-ordinator or something! I was young so the possibilities were endless. Now, they've ended. Being dead totally sucked. I closed my eyes. I would never fall over and graze myself again, or get sick from eating too much – but I'd also never eat food again, or feel the wind in my hair. There was nothing glamorous about Heaven, no matter how well it was advertised. So much for being a place of paradise.

There was a pause in our conversation; I think I startled Grandpa Joe with my outburst. Not for the first time, I wondered how my family were coping with my death. Mom and Dad were probably heartbroken. It had been so long since I'd last been at home, and I regretted that immensely. Poor little Sunshine wouldn't even remember having an older sister in a few years...I sniffed and wiped my nose on the back of my hand. Thoughts like that only made me sad, and I willed myself not to think them.

"Perhaps I shouldn't be telling you this..." Grandpa Joe began, sounding hesitant. "But I overheard a group of angels talking and it looks like your friends on Earth are working to get you and Andy, was it? They're working to get you resurrected." My eyes snapped open. I sat bolt upright and stared at Grandpa Joe. Could it really be true? A new hope sparked inside of me, and I held on to it with my (after) life.

"Don't joke with me, Grandpa! Seriously? Tell me all the details!" I begged, my hands held together and shaking. Grandpa Joe chuckled at me.

"I didn't hear everything, but from what I did hear it was something about two girls looking for a plate for Arceus in return for your lives." I gasped excitedly, my smile returning after how long. Rina and Rikki were doing Arceus a favour to get mine and Andy's lives back! Ooooh, when I got back I was going to give them a hug to end all hugs! I was bursting with pleasure and squealed loudly. I kissed Grandpa Joe's cheek and then shot off in search of Andy. I couldn't wait to tell him the good news! I raced past souls who were calmer than I was, not paying them much attention. Ha! Soon, I wouldn't even be able to see them. My feet pounded on the clouds – how was that even possible? Weren't they made of water or something? – and I sprinted all the way to where I suspected Andy was.

I stopped when I saw him with Angel, sitting on their special cloud. It was special because if you looked over it, you could see Earth – and not just from a distance. If you concentrated, you could see a specific time and place of your choice. It was actually really cool but I didn't much like it because it upset me to watch life go on without me. I'd only used it once and it was a bit of a waste: everyone had been sleeping. Andy and Angel were holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes when I stumbled across them. I had two choices: ruin the moment by interrupting them or come back later and give them some privacy.

"OH MY GOSH ANDY YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT?" I shrieked, plonking myself in between the two boys. Andy blushed violently and Angel coughed pointedly. I ignored Angel and beamed at my best friend.

"Rina and Rikki are trying to get us reservatered!" Andy stared at me blankly.

"Reser...vatered? What's that?" he asked, confused. Angel sighed heavily.

"I think she means 'resurrected'."

"Yeah! That! Isn't that great? We can get our lives back!" I was bubbling with ecstasy. I'd been dreaming of being alive ever since I'd stepped through the gates of Heaven and now finally it was going to come true. Nothing could beat this feeling. My smile stretched across my face as I awaited Andy's joyful response. His eyes darted quickly to Angel and then back to me.

"Uh, we-well I'm not re-really s-sure I want to go b-back..." I threw my head back and laughed. Andy was so funny! He really knew how to make a joke. I laughed long and loud, calming down after a few minutes. I sighed happily, wiping a tear from my eye.

"Ti-Tizzy, I'm n-not joking. I w-want to stay he-here in Heaven..." I blinked at him.

"Why?" I asked, not understanding what Andy was saying. How could he like being dead so much that he wanted to stay that way?

"It was your time to go. Andy has accepted that, and you should too. I'll pull some strings and get the older angels to make sure those two girls don't succeed..." Angel said. I shot him a dark look.

"Don't even try it! I won't accept that there's no chance of me watching my baby sister grow up! I want Rina and Rikki to resurrect us so I can hug them again, and be happy with them and have fun! I don't like being dead; I miss Tubby and cake!" I wailed. Angel looked at me pityingly.

"Could you give us a moment?" Andy asked Angel. Angel nodded and after squeezing Andy's hand, left us in peace. Andy shuffled closer to me and put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly. I had a sudden flashback of the times my shoulder had been touched recently. When I caught Teddiursa for Sunshine, and Mom and Dad had both placed their hands on my shoulders, proud of me. Saying goodbye to my friends in Team Elemental and Selene had blown me a kiss while Saul patted my shoulder. Soon after, a tearful kid tapped my shoulder and asked to use the phone. After I had released Pipin, Andy had rested his hand on my shoulder to comfort me. He'd also done the same thing when he informed me that we were dead.

I shrugged Andy's hand off me and he exhaled forlornly.

"I'm sorry I don't feel the same as you about what Rina and Rikki are doing for us. I just...I think I have something special with Angel. I never met anyone like him when I was alive, and I'm not going to give him up easily." I felt let down and slightly betrayed. I stared Andy straight in the eyes and gave him a long, hard look.

"Andy. You and I have been through a lot together in a short amount of time. We became best friends and I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about you. That's why I want you to be happy that we might be brought back to life." Andy shook his head slowly, and it felt like something was yanking my heart.

"I'll be happy for you...But I don't want Rina and Rikki to take me away from Angel." Andy was beginning to really bug me now. It was always Angel this, and Angel that. Did he forget who I was?

"Just listen to yourself! You knew me long before Angel came along, and I'll always be here for you. I thought you were supposed to put your friends before...Well." I cleared my throat, not quite comfortable with calling Angel Andy's 'boyfriend'. It was too weird. Andy looked at me sadly, now understanding how I felt. I decided to carry on.

"Besides, how much do you really know about Angel? Sure he's an angel but that doesn't mean he's right for you! You can't tie yourself to one person at this age...And I don't like him that much," I admitted. Angel might be good-looking but he wasn't good to the core. He hadn't bothered to be nice to me, for one. As Andy's best friend, I thought it was only logical that Angel would want to be my friend too. Clearly Angel didn't care. As long as he had Andy, why would he bother with me? Andy closed his eyes, thinking. He took a few deep breaths: I guess he was trying to control his thoughts or something. When he opened his eyes again, I knew everything was going to be okay.

"I don't get the chance to say this often, but you're right Tizzy. You mean more to me than Angel. If Rina and Rikki succeed, I'll gladly go with you." He smiled and, unable to contain myself, I threw my self at him in possibly my biggest hug yet. Oooh Andy! I totally loved the little guy. When Andy choked that he couldn't breathe, I withdrew from him but kept a firm grip on his arm. I announced that we would watch Rina and Rikki's progress from the cloud and we leaned over. An image quickly manifested and I saw our friends searching through tall grass for something. Movement off to my left caught my eye and when I looked up, I saw Grandpa Joe smiling happily at me. I waved to him and he walked off. My gaze returned to Rina and Rikki.

"C'mon! You can do it!" I encouraged them.

* * *

**Note: Ah, I hope Rina and Rikki do it! I didn't really like Tizzy being all mopey, so I'm glad she's all perky again!**


	22. Awakening

Awakening

I woke slowly. My body felt heavy, as if I had been sleeping for days. As it turns out, I was. Rina and Rikki explained to me that after Terry's Blastoise had hit me I had been knocked unconscious and wound up in the Pokémon Centre. They couldn't come up with a reason why Andy and I were on the floor though. I couldn't even remember having any dreams about cake or anything, which was weird for me. I always dream about food!

Once Nurse Joy had checked Andy and me over we went to lobby to collect our Pokémon. I grabbed Tubby's ball gleefully and released him, eager to see his face after being apart so long. I jumped on him when he materialised and we hugged each other tightly.

"Tubby! I've missed you so much!"

"Snorr!" he replied. After a while we let go of each other and I noticed that the others had also collected their Pokémon. Nurse Joy approached us then with a Pokéball in her hand, smiling in Andy's direction. It turns out that Happy had hatched while we were all busy doing other things. Poor little Pokémon: hatching without any of us to witness his birth must have been pretty lonely.

After much urging from me, Andy released the mysterious Happy. A round, blue creature with two long feathers on top of its head with fluffy white wings that looked like candy floss either side of its body, emerged. It had a short, rounded white beak, white feet, and small blue tail feathers. Happy blinked up at us all, his small eyes so cute and bright and new.

"Awww!" I cooed. For a moment my vision blurred and Happy became a fluffy blue marshmallow.

"It's a fluffy marshmallow!" I picked it up and looked at it for a moment. It had just been a Pokémon and now it was a marshmallow. Still, food was food. I cautiously extended my tongue and licked the front of it. Happy suddenly reappeared and pecked me on the nose.

"Eeeek!" I screeched. Andy scolded me for trying to eat it and snatched it off me, before asking Nurse Joy what Pokémon Happy was. She called him a 'Swah-bloo' and confirmed the gender as male. Andy smiled at Happy before returning him to his Pokéball. I wanted to play with him for a bit but I was scared Happy would turn back into a marshmallow and I would eat him. I was starving – I felt like I hadn't eaten in forever! It seemed that no-one was concerned with my rumbling stomach as Rikki and Andy decided it was the perfect time to travel. It was like they didn't need to eat. I tried to get some food from Tubby but that was like making apple juice with lemons: never going to happen.

We were walking through Mt Coronet so we could get to Route 217 and then Snowpoint City. Andy and I were in front with our Pokémon in their balls as an extra precaution. Last time we had been in Mt Coronet, Andy and I had wound up unconscious. Tubby had been nervous as we approached the entrance to the tunnel and blocked my path when I tried to go in. I knew he was just looking out for me but Rina said there was no other way around, so I had to put Tubby in his ball.

Rina and Rikki were whispering behind us, although sometimes they forgot they were whispering and spoke out loud. I managed to catch a few words and phrases of their conversation: 'two days', 'Kanto in time', 'tickets', 'Professor, has contacts'. I had no idea what they could be talking about, but it sounded really boring if a professor with contact lenses was involved.

Whilst they were talking, Andy and I were talking too. We were discussing Happy's timetable – when he could eat, when he could sleep, when he could play. I looked at the watch I had drawn on my wrist in felt tip pen.

"Hey look: it's time to change Happy's nappy!" I chuckled. "Hey, that rhymed!" Andy looked at me despairingly.

"Happy isn't a baby, you know," he said. I nodded. Of course I knew that! An idiot could figure that one out all by their self.

"Do you have Happy's bottle?" I asked anxiously. Andy groaned loudly and shook his head. I didn't see what the problem was. Maybe he stubbed his toe or something like that.

Without warning, Rina stopped us in front of a very old man. He had iron-like hair and was dressed all in green. He stared at the walls of the cave and was mumbling to himself. He was creepily crazy. I was so shocked when Rina asked the man if he wanted to battle. My mom always taught me to never stare at, talk to or steal from the elderly – especially if they were mentally unstable. Andy tugged on my sleeve and I joined him on the floor. By that time we were both pretty tired of walking, as we had only just been discharged from the Pokémon Centre. Rikki followed our lead with a sigh and a complaint; it was just like old times.

Rina released her Staraptor and the old dude let out a hideously deformed rock-thingy that surprised everyone. They gasped at the sight of it and I did too, so I wasn't left out. I only knew that it was called a 'Regirock' when Andy said it incredulously. I guessed that it was some sort of rare Pokémon but the old guy acted all casual about it. Maybe he wasn't as crazy as I had first assumed. The next events happened so quickly that I blinked and missed it. One thing, Staraptor was staring down the disfigured Regirock and the next, Staraptor was on the floor, knocked out.

"What the heck? Why did she go down so fast? Regirock may be a legendary Pokemon but it's not the strongest. It shouldn't have finished off Staraptor that quickly," babbled Rina, as she recalled Staraptor to her ball. I felt bad for her because she looked so unsettled. It was probably her fastest lose yet – even including her battles against Nicholas! The man also recalled his Pokémon and took another ball off his belt, taking no notice of Rina's distress.

"Regice, I need your assistance!" Old Man Trainer released a Pokémon that looked exactly like the other one with one big difference: this new Pokémon was made of glass. My stomach gurgled and I was reminded that my stomach was very much EMPTY. I looked back at the battle and much to my amazement saw that Sparky was up against a giant...

"ICE LOLLY!" My eyes lit up and I scrambled to get to my treat. Rikki tugged me back before I could get anywhere near the frozen delight and fixed me with a stern look.

"First you lick an innocent little Swablu and now you want to eat a Regice? Wow Tizzy, that bump on your head must have caused some major damage to your head. Maybe we should book an appointment with the doctor," said Rikki, not able to stop herself from grinning wickedly. Suddenly the amazing ice lolly disappeared and in its place was that ugly Pokémon. It dawned on me what had happened.

"Rikki, if I go without food for too long I _see _things," I said, scared.

"What kind of things?" Andy asked me, worried displayed across his face.

"Everything looks like food!" I cried, clutching Andy's arm in my desperation. Instead of being concerned and understanding, my two best friends simply thought I was nuts. Thanks. To show them just how upset they had made me, I refused to watch the rest of Rina's battle and turned my back on everyone. I only looked behind me when Sparky shrieked,

"Chuuuuu!" Rina fed her a Revive and Old Man Trainer concluded that there was no point continuing the battle. Rina and the old dude discussed her battling tactics while I zoned out – all that stuff was so boring to me. We eventually made it out of the horrid Mt Coronet and I was all set to release Tubby from his ball when the blizzard hit me in the face – literally. I was suddenly grateful for the warm clothes Nurse Joy had let us borrow. Even so I could feel the icy chill on my skin and it caused me to shiver and my teeth chattered.

"He had a point Rina," Andy said carefully. What was he talking about? Who had a point? When did they make it? Why was he talking so gently? What did I miss?

"I know he did," Rina sighed. "By the way Tizzy, I think I should use your phone when the blizzard dies down." I nodded okay rather than giving a verbal answer – it was far too cold for that. I didn't want any of the snow to get into my mouth. We trudged through the snow, leaving heavy footprints behind us that were quickly covered up again by the never-ending torrent of frozen water. The fierce wind pushed against us and I began to wish I was in bed. No-one attempted to make conversation and it was probably just as well: if all stood around chatting it was very likely that we would freeze to death. Still, it didn't stop things from becoming awkward as there was literally no sound coming from any of us except the sound of us struggling to push through the blizzard. My stomach protested angrily at me.

"I like cake," I mentioned, hoping that someone had any they could share. At this rate, I could eat an entire Ponyta! No food presented itself to me though. It was just my rotten luck.


	23. A Brief Encounter

A Brief Encounter

"Tubby! Get back here!" I hissed, stalking after my – surprisingly fast – Pokémon. He had probably smelt food and that's why he had wandered away from the group. We were still on Route 217 and the others were waiting for me back where I told them to wait when Tubby had first walked off. It was dangerous, going off by yourself in a blizzard this bad. That's why I had gone after Tubby. And okay, maybe Rikki had been right when she called me an idiot for releasing Tubby but what's a girl gonna do? He was one of my best friends and I missed his company, even in the middle of hazardous weather. I couldn't exactly leave him out of the fun, could I?

Well, Rikki thought I could. Andy and Rina agreed with her, too. That was another reason why I went after Tubby alone. It was my fault, my responsibility. Whatever. Maybe I'd find a snow cone on the way; I was still hungry! I trudged through the thick snow, barely able to see where I was going and not even sure I was going the right way – that was until I walked right into the back of Tubby and fell back into the snow. Someone laughed – a boy someone – and I struggled to my feet with all the indignation I could muster.

"What's so funny, huh? I could have broken a bone and died of hyperthermalaria!" I said. A boy stepped out from in front of Tubby and even though the wind picked up, tossing the snow at an even heavier and faster rate than before, I still recognised him. Okay, that was a lie. I had no idea who the heck he was. He was just some tanned dude with short hair and crinkly eyes when he laughed. He was laughing now. At me. I glared at him but I'm not sure he saw what with all the snow. He had on a heavily padded jacket and some thick snowshoes, although his head was bare and I can't imagine he was warm.

"Number one: it's hypothermia. Number two: Tizzy, it's me!" I squinted at him. Me who? I didn't know anyone called 'Me'. Tubby seemed preoccupied by what was in the boy's bag and through the blizzard there was no mistaking Tubby pulling out a fat chunk of chocolate cake. My mouth drooled from the very sight of it and I longed to taste it...That was until Tubby shoved the entire thing in his mouth, of course. Thanks for that. Let's not forget that _I'm_ the one who is starving here. The boy didn't seem to mind that he had just been robbed, laughing it off as nothing. When he laughed, his eyes crinkled up in a cute sort of way. Hold on. Crinkly eyes, tanned skin, a head taller than me. It was!

"TJ Torres," I said happily. "What brings you here?" TJ shrugged.

"This and that." It was then that I noticed the bruise on his cheek and the fact that he was missing a scooter and a Vespiquen. I asked him what happened and he looked quietly embarrassed.

"I was ambushed by this gang, calling them selves 'Team Elemental'. They took everything! Los de vida baja, de segunda categoría, sucios, bueno para nada delincuentes!" He seemed angry, especially so when he spoke in another language. I told him what I knew about Team Elemental – leaving out the part where I was a member for all of five minutes – and that seemed to make him even angrier. He spoke so fast that I didn't know whether he was ranting in English, Spanish or Gibberish. He calmed himself down though and smiled at me.

"At least they didn't get you and Tubby. I'm glad you're safe." I smiled shyly. I guess TJ being older and taller and good looking made me shy. My crush on him can't have helped much either. I asked him if he was okay, out here in the blizzard all by himself. I even invited him to journey with Rina, Rikki, Andy and me. TJ assured me that he was fine. In fact, he lived somewhere close by. He was worried about me, though. He didn't think I should be running around with Tubby while the weather was this bad. Talk about being a hypocrite! To change the subject, I asked about TJ's hair. It used to be so long and curly, like a Luxray's mane only longer. Now it was down to only a few curls.

"I was tired of having to wash it all the time. It was so boring and took too long," was TJ's reply. That was too bad, since I kind of loved his hair. Still, I could learn to love his new hair style. Tubby nudged me and if he was hinting at what I thought he was hinting at, then I needed to stop telling him my secrets! I returned him to his Pokéball where he couldn't run off or show me up in front of TJ. TJ watched our exchange with amusement. I looked at him and noticed that his eyes were a honey brown. Huh. Then I remembered the last thing TJ Torres had said to me before riding off on his scooter into the night like some modern day Romeo.

_Hasta pronto, bella Tizzy!_ Andy had told me it meant 'so long, beautiful Tizzy'. I had been in such a good mood afterwards. Just knowing someone thought I was pretty enough to shout it in the middle of the night made me feel like maybe I was worth it. Maybe – just maybe – it made me feel a little better about the whole Andy situation. Sure I was over it now but I couldn't erase from my mind how mortified I'd been when it had come out that Andy was gay. Back then I thought I'd never find a boy I liked who was straight and end up living alone with thirty seven Skittys. It wasn't exactly a nice mental image.

And now that I thought about TJ calling me beautiful I could feel myself blushing ferociously. I just hoped he thought it was due to the coldness of the temperature.

"Hey, are you cold?" he asked. I was a genius! I nodded oh-so-innocently and TJ moved closer towards me, embracing me in his arms. I thought I was going to die of merriment. My heart was beating at a million squillions times a minutes and my stomach felt like there was a whole flock of Butterfree in there, which was weird considering how starved I was. Our padded clothes stopped the hug from being too cosy though, it still felt nice. I buried my head into the thick softness of TJ's jacket and simply relished the moment.

"Pardon?" I looked up at TJ, confused. He explained. "You said something. It sounded like 'I love you'." TJ was beaming while I gaped at him, too stunned to move. I had meant to think that! Why was my mouth so big? Oh gosh, I'd totally ruined the moment. I was so angry with myself. Just for once, I couldn't have kept quiet and let someone else embarrass themselves. Oh no, it had to be me. It was always me. It was like I had some sort of curse. There was never going to be a day where I went through it all without any unfor–

That was when TJ kissed me. And not in an aunty-style, I-love-you-let-me-just-kiss-your-cheek kind of way either. Heck no. TJ went right for the jackpot: my lips. It was kind of embarrassing actually – how could it not be? – because of the harsh wind, our lips were dry and a little icy so the kiss was kind of rough and less fairytale than I'd imagined it would be. And then there was the small matter of our lips getting stuck together for a while until I had the great idea of licking them until they thawed out. We broke apart quickly, lest we get stuck again. TJ was still grinning at me and I grinned back. Then he spoiled the mood and told me to go back to my friends. I looked at him hopefully.

"Will I ever see you again?" asked I, my voice all high and full of longing, like one of those TV dramas. You know the sort. Or perhaps it just sounded like the cold was getting to me. TJ kissed me again but on the top of my head where his lips couldn't get stuck and told me to go before I really did catch hypothermia. How could I say no? I went, but not without looking back every two steps. By the twelfth step I couldn't see TJ anymore. A couple of tears rolled down my cheeks before turning into ice. Ouch. Whether the tears were happy or sad, I couldn't tell.

"What took you so long? And why are your lips all red and cut?" Rikki demanded the second I was within hearing range. I said nothing but looked back the way I came, hoping to come across as some love-struck teenager who would later be reunited with her one true love.

"Did you lick a tree again?" Rina asked gently. I smiled to myself, glad I hadn't licked a tree this time.

"Nope. I met TJ Torres. We kissed." The look on my friends' faces were priceless. Honestly, I wish I had a camera. Then I remembered I did and fished out my BlukBerry phone, taking wonderful snapshots of each of their faces.

"Not scooter boy? _You_ kissed _him_?" Rikki asked disbelievingly. I shook my head and Rikki looked relieved, as did Andy. Rina just looked like she didn't know what to believe.

"_He_ kissed _me_," I clarified. Rikki went back to looking shocked. Andy looked...shocked, but in a different way. Like, jealous-boyfriend shocked. But that was probably just my imagination. Rina was the only one pleased enough to congratulate me. Once Rikki and Andy had recovered, we started walking towards Snowpoint City once more. I couldn't resist though, I just had to add something for good measure. So I sidled up to Rikki and whispered into her ear.

"He kissed me, Rikki. And what's more, I think he liked it. I know I did!"

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**Note: In your face, Rikki! lol I joke. Kinda. Review? Tell people how great this is? Especially the ones who read Sinnoh Challenges, coz they're the ones more likely to like this? XD I think there was a movie with the same title as this chapter...But I never saw it.  
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	24. Food For Thought

**Note: Been a while since my last update...ah well XD I had to split the Sinnoh Challenges version into two chapters because it was too long for a normal chapter of Tizzy's Challenges. Enjoy!  
**

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Food For Thought

The moment we arrived in Snowpoint City, I begged Andy and Rikki to take me to buy some food. They reluctantly agreed and we went off, leaving Rina to make a visit to the Pokémon Centre. Andy found a nice little shop and I bought the biggest bag of sweets I could afford. Well, technically I couldn't _afford_ it since the shop was the kind where you weighed the pick and mix yourself and over the years I've picked up a trick or two to make things easier for myself. I crammed the bag full to bursting with sweets and placed it on the scale, artfully blocking the cashier's line of vision by standing directly in front of my purchase. I lifted the bag carefully, so it was still touching the scale but was barely putting any weight on it. The screen showed me that the price had gone from £7.43 to 84p. Perfect. I pressed the button and the price sticker groaned out. I hastily stuck it on my bag and plonked it down on the counter happily. Andy and Rikki stared disbelievingly at me. I bet they were wishing they knew about this trick sooner.

Okay, it would have worked if the cashier hadn't been so observant. She took one look at my bag and said in an outraged voice:

"There's no way that costs 84p." Rikki and Andy were forced to fork out the full amount since I didn't have more than a pound. Serves them right for not feeding me when I asked them! When they had finished paying, I noticed Rina at another counter and we all left the shop together. I was so gleeful with my purchase that I couldn't resist showing it to Rina.

"Look what Rikki and Andy bought me!" I announced. Rina grinned and I noticed her eyeing my sweets hungrily. Well, look who wanted food now. She should have thought of that when I was STARVING TO DEATH.

"So Rina, I guess we are going to go to the boring gym now?" I said conversationally, tossing a fistful of sweets in my mouth in an attempt to make her jealous. It was a pity the effect was ruined by my dropping some of them onto the snow-covered ground. I gasped in surprise, shouting about the five second rule before diving down to retrieve them and shove them in my mouth faster than you could say 'contamination'. The added bits of snow washed the sweets down nicely. Rikki shot me a look of utter repulsion that I pretended not to notice. She had probably never had sweets and a drink at the same time and had no idea how good it tasted.

"Actually, we are going for a boat ride. Tizzy, do you mind going back to the Pokemon Centre and picking up Staraptor for me please?" replied Rina. I went obediently, skipping all the way there and wondering where this boat was going to take us. Neverland? I hoped so – it looked like such fun!

/

"Oh don't be boring! We need to get to Kanto and this is the only way," Rikki reminded Rina. We were all hiding out in the storage room of a ship, along with some interesting-looking supplies. I wanted to play with them but Andy wouldn't let me in case I broke anything. He was such a kill-joy. I suddenly perked up at the mention of my home-region and beamed excitedly in Rikki's direction. This was the first time anyone had mentioned our intended destination.

"Why are we going to Kanto? Can we visit my family?" Silence ensued and I became suspicious. Was something going on that I didn't know about..?

"No we can't. We have to go to Pallet Town and see Professor Oak!" said Andy hurriedly. Oh, well if we had to see the old smart guy then I guess there wouldn't be time to make a short stop to see my mom, dad or Sunshine...I looked down at my shoes and sniffed sullenly. I missed them all so much. We would be so close to them and yet so far. It was a depressing thought, to say the least. I brightened considerably when Rikki handed me a slice of secret chocolate cake. Cake usually made everything better. Grateful towards Rikki, I was about to take a particularly large bite out of it when a hard voice made me freeze.

"Give me that now." I looked for the source of the voice and saw a preteen boy standing confidently beside a large crate. No-one said anything to him so he repeated himself.

"I said give me that cake!" he growled. We broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter. He was obviously trying his best to come across as a tough kid but he was the complete opposite with his small frame, large square glasses and ginger hair that had probably been combed neatly by his mommy that morning. I took that massive bite I had planned on taking and smirked at the little boy. I guess I looked too smug for his liking because the next moment, Ginger Kid stormed over to me, whacked my lovely, sensational cake out of my hands and grabbed my wrist. My face crumpled as I caught sight of my chocolate baby all over the floor. No five second rule could ever fix that car-wreck. Ginger Kid dragged me outside the storage room and on to the deck. For some strange reason, I had been in many situations where I had been held against my will so my natural instinct was to aim a kick at his shin. Somehow he didn't feel any pain – although maybe that had something to do with the fact that my shoes were only sandals, not heavy duty boots. Ginger Kid forced my back against the rail of the boat and I have to say it now: I can't exactly...swim.

"You should have listened to me. You are going to go for a little swim now," warned Ginger Kid. Aw crap. Goodbye cruel world: I was surely going to drown. I'd never even make it to my sixteenth birthday...What a shame. I had been looking forward to taking the next step in becoming an adult.

Without warning, Andy appeared out of nowhere and gripped the front of Ginger Kid's crisply ironed shirt.

"Get your hands off of her," said Andy slowly, through gritted teeth. I stared at my friend in surprise: I had never heard Andy sound so angry before. The only time he came close was when he first told me about Team Elemental stealing his Pokémon. It was amazing. Ginger Kid forgot about me and focused his attention on Andy instead. Andy gulped as the boy advanced towards him and I took the opportunity to sneak away from the side of the ship. I didn't want to accidentally fall in – once was enough for me. A fight broke out between Ginger Kid and Andy and it was just my luck that I somehow got in the way and managed to intervene. Ginger Kid's punch landed on my arm instead of connecting with Andy's face and a small part of me was thankful for that. Andy had a nice face and I didn't want it to get ruined. I gasped as the pain hit me; I was most definitely going to get a bruise thanks to this.

"Ouch..." My eyes brimmed with tears and I threw my head back, wailing loudly. Rina dragged me back into the storage room and calmed me down with the rest of my sweets. I was happy I had friends who understood my needs. From outside, I heard a thud, a yelp and then a splash. Rina and I looked at each other, wondering who had gone overboard. We were relieved seconds later when we heard both our friends' voices, assuring us it was Ginger Kid who had been disposed of.

"I didn't mean to do that!" Andy despaired.

"I will never make fun of you again Andy..." vowed Rikki seriously.


	25. Back To Kanto

Back To Kanto

"Where are we?" asked Rina, looking around. We were in Vermillion City! How could Rina not know that? It was obvious: the smell of sea-salt was fresh in the air, modernised houses were everywhere and not to mention the distinct Tetris-shape of the area.

"So how far is it from here to Pewter?" Rina quizzed me. I was beginning to get the feeling that she had no idea where we were – then I remembered Rina probably had no clue. She wasn't from Kanto, like me and Andy. Rina and Rikki came from Sinnoh, so this was unfamiliar territory for them. For once I felt superior to them.

"It's quite far, actually." I frowned in confusion. "I thought we had to see Professor Oak?"

"We decided you should see your family first," said Rikki. I brightened immediately. AWESOME! I was finally going to see Mom, Dad and Sunshine after so long.

"Yay! I'll lead the way: c'mon troops!" I enthused, suppressing the urge to embrace Rikki for telling me the good news. Somehow, I didn't think she would appreciate my public display of affection towards her. We walked for AGES before we got to Saffron City: Route 6 was full of little kids with Pidgeys, Rattatas, Meowths and Zubats that were laughably weak and wanted to battle with us. It was so annoying telling them all no and seeing them look disappointed afterwards. Much to my chagrin, we didn't take a break in Saffron City, pushing on until we reached Cerulean at some time during the evening.

"We should stay here for the night and leave early tomorrow. There is a hotel we could try and stay in," suggested Andy. I felt like falling to my knees and hugging his legs. He was my saviour! If we hadn't stopped then I think I would have actually passed out. My legs may be long but boy did they tire easily. The four of us followed Andy's lead towards a small, run-down hotel and I suddenly had doubts about this. I was quickly assured though, as we stepped inside and discovered that the inside was a lot better looking than out, with a nicely furnished foyer to welcome us. We clubbed together and got one room between us; it had two sets of bunk beds so we wouldn't have to share a bed with anyone. Since Rina was more tired than hungry (it felt like YEARS since I had eaten my sweets and that one bite of chocolate cake...) she stayed for a nap while the rest of us went downstairs to the canteen.

Once in there, I could smell a wonderful mixture of all different kinds of foods. Knowing a certain Snorlax who would love it as much as I did, I released Tubby from his ball. A few people gaped at the size of him as he stretched his limbs out. We looked at each other excitedly: the sign said all-you-can-eat! Tubby and I got to work, munching everything in sight. Pasta, chicken, rice, pizza, vegetables, chips, turkey, potatoes, noodles, lasagne, fillet burgers, bread rolls, soup – not to mention the desserts! In the blur of food, I distantly heard Rikki mention she had to 'do something that would benefit us in more ways than one'. Truthfully I was paying my glorious dinner more attention than anyone else – which was why it came as such a surprise when Andy hissed that he hoped I had enough money to cover my meal. I stared at him blankly. Money? Between the sweets and the hotel room, I didn't have two pennies to rub together.

That was when the hotel owner appeared, red with fury and dragging a resistant Rikki by her arm. He glared at me, his cold eyes penetrating my very soul. I gulped. Boy was I ever in trouble. I was scared for my life and Tubby to his ball quickly so he wouldn't pick up on my fear and try to defend me, which would undoubtedly get me in even more trouble with the manager. The manager completely lost it when Andy stammered that I didn't have enough money to pay for anything Tubby and I had consumed – and neither did her or Rikki. We were screwed, especially when it turned out that Rikki had only tried to rob the place. If she'd asked for my assistance, we could have pulled it off together without getting caught: I was a master thief.

Long story short, we got thrown out of the hotel. It was dark by now and the Pokémon Centre was already filled to the brim. Our only option was to sleep outside and pray that it didn't rain since we didn't own any camping equipment. Rina was really ticked off with me and Rikki for 'being stupid' as she put it and didn't stop going on about how irresponsible we had been. She nagged us like a mom and strangely, instead of feeling guilty I only felt comforted by her scolding. Maybe I missed my real mom more than I realised.

We found a couple of public benches and I laid out on one where I fell asleep almost instantly. I hadn't thought I was that tired but apparently I was. When we woke early the next morning, I was astonished to find that Rikki had slept on the ground because I had taken up all the space on the bench. It wasn't _my_ fault I was unnecessarily tall.

We all looked like castaways as a result of sleeping rough. Rikki looked particularly bad but I didn't want to make a comment in case she killed me – her facial expression was stuck on 'thunderous'. Rina was still in her pyjamas because she had that nap yesterday and so had to duck behind a bush to get changed. I felt embarrassed for her. I was extremely hungry yet again but all the food shops were closed because it was so early in the day. Andy came up with the idea to 'ration' our goods. I shot him a dark look when he said that but I don't think he noticed.

We left Cerulean City, heading west until we got to Mt Moon. Going through a cave still left some painful memories and therefore I was against travelling through it, no matter how hard my friends tried to convince me Terry and his goons wouldn't be lurking in the dark shadows. I absolutely refused to step foot in another cave even when Andy said it was the only possible way to get to my hometown. Just thinking about it made me go into a hyperventilating state. In the end Rikki released Tubby and he carried me into the cave while I wriggled around, trying to get out of his bear hug.

I was pleasantly surprised when Mt Moon turned out to be a million times cheerier than Mt Coronet and after a few steps got Tubby to put me down. I discovered that I didn't mind being in another cave so soon after what had happened, especially a familiar cave like Mt Moon. Numerous newbie trainers appeared to us, challenging us to battles. They owned fairly weak Pokémon so Tubby managed to destroy all of them with is super amazing Hyper Beam. He was so cool when he did that; it made my heart swell with pride.

The sun was up properly in the sky by the time we left Mt Moon but we still had a fairly lengthy walk until we arrived at Pewter City. Next stop: Family Reunion!

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**Note: I can't wait x)**


	26. Guess Who!

Guess Who?

"Okay Tubby, we've learned our lesson from last time. Just because it says 'all you can eat buffet', it doesn't mean we can eat everything without paying," I warned the big guy. We were on the SS Anne the day after my birthday. Yesterday had been so awesome – it was great to be with my family to celebrate the special occasion. I had really missed them all so much. Still, I could have done without Dad embarrassing me by making Andy sleep downstairs. If only he knew how often we had shared a room! I loved the gifts everyone bought me, especially my Snorlax suit. So far I had been true to my word and hadn't taken it off once. It made me feel closer to Tubby, like I was his sister or something. A couple of people stared at us but they didn't say much because I saw a few extremist Pokéfans dressed as their favourite Pokémon so I didn't stand out too much. Sometimes I got it in me to growl quietly or cry 'Snorrrrlaaaaaaaaax!' which earned a few startled looks but other than that I like to think I blended in well.

A girl to my right nudged me. She looked about nine, had black hair that was tied into two cute pigtails and was dutifully sucking her thumb. Her other hand was clutching the paw of a Lopunny as if for dear life. I turned to her, ready to bare my teeth and roar at her for interrupting my gaze at the delicious food spread out in front of me. Her face looked surprised when she saw me baring my teeth but not scared – so I stopped.

"The food's free. Its part of the ticket deal," she said. I gaped at her. The food was free? I spun around to Tubby and squealed excitedly, hurriedly thanking the girl before grabbing Tubby's hand and rushing towards the food. Tubby dug in immediately but I was smart and shoved as much of the food that was in wrappers in my bag before eating anything. That way when there was nothing left we'd at least have something to eat on our travels.

Soon after Tubby and I had finished stuffing our faces, Rina, Rikki and Andy joined us and said they were feeling hungry. Obviously I couldn't miss out on a chance to eat more – neither could Tubby – so we ate even more food with our friends. That was probably why when we arrived at Snowpoint City around fifty minutes later, I urged my friends to let me have a rest in the Pokémon Centre. I could feel a serious stomach ache coming on. Andy booked us a room for the next few days and we all settled in. That was when Rina mentioned the B word. Battles.

"I'm going to wait until tomorrow to battle the gym leader, so I can squeeze in a bit more training," she said. I didn't say anything in response; I was too busy admiring my new ball capsules, seals and ribbon case Rina had bought me for my birthday. Because they were new they were so **shiny** – I felt as if I could stare at them all day. In six days from now I wound have the opportunity to try out my luck in a Pokémon Contest just outside Sunnyshore City. Andy was concerned that it was too far for us to get to in time so Rikki came up with an excellent solution.

"Gallade could just teleport us there. That way we won't waste energy travelling such a long distance," she said confidently. It was a great plan! Too bad Rina didn't think so.

"I'm not too sure...I don't really like using Gallade for transport..." said Rina, biting her lip nervously. Andy put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's the only way. We'll never make it otherwise," he advised wisely. Rina eventually relented but I could tell she wasn't happy about it. I don't know what her problem was: if I had a Pokémon who could teleport I'd never walk again! I'd have it whizz me everywhere in mere seconds and never be tired or late.

Andy released Happy and began stroking him, asking what our plans were for the rest of the day. He, Rina and Rikki got into a boring conversation about temples, research and Pokédexs so I zoned out. I wasn't interested in all that stuff. Truthfully, I was thinking about why Andy always got to look after Happy. It was as if I hadn't had a hand in helping him hatch! Who had bought him the scarves, baby carriers and all the other stuff? Okay, maybe that was Andy because I hadn't had any money but it was all my idea.

As I was having this argument in my head, I noticed a strangely familiar couple entering the Pokémon Centre. With a start I realised who they were, although it had taken me a while to figure it out as they weren't in their normal Team Elemental uniform. I froze.

"Guys, look who just walked through the door," I said aloud, hoping to get their attention before I freaked out.

"Karumo and Ebony," said Rikki, repulsion evident from her tone. Rikki must have been louder than she meant to be because they heard her and the next thing any of us knew, Karumo and Ebony were standing before us. I shrank back from their presence. Since they were around, their boss Terry might not be too far behind. I didn't want to run into him any time this century. He scared the bejeebers out of me.

"What do _you_ want?" asked Rikki, not bothering to sound polite. She was ignored. Ebony explained that she and Karumo had quit Team Elemental after giving the police an anonymous tip-off about the evil fiend Terry and where he could be found. He and the rest of the group had been arrested but Karumo, Ebony, Selene and Saul weren't. I was glad to hear that about Saul and Selene: they were nice people really. I remembered my brief stint on the side of Team Elemental and it hit me how wrong that could have gone had it not been for Selene and Saul. I owed them big time.

"Wait, why weren't you two and Selene and Saul arrested along with everyone else?" asked Rina, frowning.

"Terry didn't rat us out," replied Karumo, which surprised us all. Terry was like the spawn of the devil – why hadn't he blabbed to the authorities about four double-crossing members of his organisation? Maybe he was embarrassed that he had been outed so easily. It was possible. Apparently the arrests were all over the news in Sinnoh but we had been in Kanto and therefore not heard anything.

"Saul and Selene are in Johto now, trying to start a new life. Karumo and I will be joining them in a few weeks," Ebony went on. So wait...Team Elemental was no more; Terry wasn't out there plotting how to kill us; Karumo and Ebony planned on living the rest of their lives happily in Johto? It sounded too good to be true.

"How do we know you're telling the truth and this isn't just some evil plot to lure us into a dungeon where you will torture us and leave us for dead?" I asked, highly suspicious. Ebony and Karumo's story just sounded a little too convenient for my liking.

"We aren't asking or telling you to believe us," said Ebony with a heavy sigh. "All we want to do is give Andy his Pokémon back." She produced two Pokéballs from her pocket and tentatively placed them on the table in front of Andy. I think I wasn't the only one who gasped. Now they were doing a good deed? What was going on in the world that bad guys couldn't stay bad guys and live up to the evil perception the public had of them? Andy grabbed the balls, stating that there were two missing. Rikki – quite rightly – demanded to know how the two ex-Team Elemental members were so certain the Pokémon belonged to Andy.

"Terry kept a track record of all the people he stole from and he kept the Pokemon in cages along with the trainers' profile. Those two Pokeballs contain your Sandshrew and Psyduck," responded Karumo. If that was the case, I wonder if the police would find the record and return all the Pokémon Team Elemental had stolen from other trainers. I was thinking briefly of a little kid in Canalave City that had been crying his eyes out because of his missing Pokémon, but mostly my mind was on TJ Torres and his Vespiquen.

"Where's Krabby and Rattata?" asked Andy in a small voice.

"Those two had to be put down," answered Karumo. "A lot of the Pokémon had to be put down. Terry experimented on most of them. They couldn't be saved, I'm sorry." It was weird but Karumo genuinely did look sorry. Maybe he and Ebony had honestly turned over a new leaf. I guess stranger things have happened, although I was slightly worried for all those kids out there whom still prayed to one day see their Pokémon again...only to find out they were long dead.

Andy nodded in understanding and hesitantly opened the two Pokéballs. Instantly, two jets of red light emitted from them and when the light faded, a Sandshrew and Psyduck were standing on top of the table looking decidedly puzzled. My eyes lit up. They were adorable! They scrutinised Andy for a tense moment before deciding he was safe and embraced him happily. I got out my Blukberry and quickly snapped a picture whilst no-one was looking. Andy would love it.

* * *

**Note: Allo, allo, allo! It's my birthday ;D**


	27. Adorable, Furry and What?

Adorable, Furry and What?

Andy excused himself to our room so he could spend some alone time with his Pokémon. Although I desperately wanted to join him, he insisted that he go alone as he wanted to bond with his Sandshrew and Psyduck once more. I grudgingly agreed to stay out of his way, at least for half an hour. Rikki got up from the table and asked if Rina or I wanted to join her at the temple. I didn't want to go to some stuffy old temple that was covered in dust so I politely declined the offer, mentally assuring myself that whatever Rina wanted to do, I'd tag along with her. When she let me down by announcing she wanted to train her Pokémon I knew I had no choice but to interrupt Andy's bonding time.

Knocking on the door cautiously, I tried to come up with a good excuse as to why I hadn't waited half an hour like I promised to. Nothing sprung to mind. I could hear something thud inside the room and Andy yelp before the door was yanked open.

"Oh Tizzy thank goodness! They've gone mad!" he cried, just before Happy swooped down from nowhere and snatched his hat from his head. I giggled: Andy looked so different when his black hair wasn't covered by his signature grey hat. He pulled me inside and slammed to door shut behind me. Inside the room was absolute chaos: Happy was excitedly chasing Sandshrew around the room whilst Ivysaur attempted to catch Happy before he did anything stupid and Psyduck was running around in circles, panicking loudly. So much for bonding.

"You've got to help me, Tizzy," begged Andy. I grinned at him: that was exactly what I wanted to hear. I could tell that the main problem here was Happy. He was only young and probably was just glad to have someone to play with. However, even I knew it wasn't acceptable behaviour to go crazy, mess up the room and steal hats. I hastily rummaged around in my bag until I found what I was looking for. I held it up and shook it noisily.

"Happy, look what I have!" I called. Happy's head turned towards me and when he saw the yellow rattle in my hand he abruptly changed his flight path and made a beeline for me. I brought my hand down and got Happy to sit on my arm while I shook the rattle for him. He calmed down at once and Andy stared at me in amazement.

"H-how come he listens to you b-but not to me?" Andy complained. I shrugged. I guess I just have a knack for getting wonderful Pokémon such as Happy to do whatever I want. I handed the rattle to Andy and Happy complacently hopped over to his arm. Andy's face was one of joy as Happy snuggled up to him. Now that was the kind of bonding my dad would be proud of. By now, Andy's Sandshrew had realised Happy had stopped chasing him and was calmly interacting with Ivysaur. They were probably catching up in the time they had been apart. Psyduck was still anxiously running in circles so I went over to him and calmly touched his head. He looked up at me and cocked his head to one side.

"Psssyyyy!" he wailed, throwing his little arms around my legs. Delighted by this development I crouched down and hugged the Psyduck back. When I went to stand up the Psyduck had attached itself to my neck and wouldn't let go. I caught Andy's eye and we shared an accomplished grin. I think we were both thinking the same thing: we were going to have a lot of fun with these Pokémon.

"Show us!"

"No; it's angry."

"Please?"

"No!" Rikki rolled her eyes at me and Rina. I could tell she was becoming annoyed with our banter. Andy didn't look like he was having much fun listening to us either. We were standing around Rina, Sparky and Flareon. When Andy and I had asserted that his Pokémon were fine, we returned them to their balls and wandered outside to catch up with Rina and Rikki. We met Rikki outside and the three of us had come together to hunt down Rina. As soon as we saw her she told us about catching her sixth Pokémon and obviously I wanted to see it. She was such a spoil-sport.

"What about now?" I asked eagerly.

"It's angry!" Rina sounded exasperated with me. I couldn't imagine why. I pleaded with Rina to show us the new Pokémon yet again and she yelled at me that it could go on a rampage. If it did then we could easily battle it: we all had strong Pokémon. I didn't see what Rina was so worried about. Rikki groaned at us and snatched the ball from Rina's grasp, releasing the Pokémon herself. It was all furry and imposing. It didn't look particularly angry; all it did was stare at Rina and her two Pokémon. All in all, it appeared fairly innocent.

"Well at least it has calmed down," said Andy. That was the least of our troubles. No-one seemed to know what the Pokémon was so Rina took out her Pokédex so it could be identified.

"_**Piloswine, the Swine Pokemon. Piloswine is covered by a shaggy coat that protects it against the cold. Its tusks of ice thicken when it snows. This Piloswine is male and is currently level 37. The moves known are: Ancient Power, Endure, Take Down and Icy Wind."**_

I became mesmerised by the Piloswine's fur. It looked thick enough to keep me warm in the coldest of blizzards. I imagined having a blanket made out of the Piloswine's fur and the very thought just made me warm. The Pokémon didn't look particularly cute but he was Rina's so I couldn't say anything rude about it. Besides, I felt that the amazingly soft-looking fur made up for his unpleasant appearance in a way. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore: I threw myself at the Piloswine and rubbed my cheek against his fur, earning a happy grunt from the fuzzy Pokémon. The rest of the world blocked out as I became absorbed in the thick fur that was softer than anything I had ever felt before. Tubby would probably get all jealous if he saw me.

"Rina, look!" said Andy loudly. I snapped out of my daze and watched with everyone else as Sparky pulled out a small coloured stone and her entire body began to glow eerily. She gained a LOT of weight, grew taller and her ears changed shape. As soon as the light faded we saw that Sparky was no longer a Pikachu but was now a Raichu. At least she was still cute.

"I guess she decided she had waited long enough to evolve," said Rina, giggling. She then attempted to lift Sparky but almost pulled her arms out of their sockets with the effort and gave up quickly. "You'll have to walk from now on. You couldn't possibly sit on my shoulder!" We laughed at that whilst Sparky huffed at Rina, crossing her paws over her now-fat belly. I guess she now had a lot more in common with Tubby. Thinking of Tubby and his size made me realise that I was starving to death so I begged my friends to let me eat. Andy agreed with me and so did Rikki. Rina said we could eat after she introduced the rest of her Pokémon to Piloswine. She unclipped the last three Pokéballs from her belt and released her Pokémon one by one: Glaceon, Staraptor and Galla–

"WHAT THE FUDGE?" shrieked Rina.

* * *

**Note: Still my birthday. Where's my present? :)**


	28. Contest Blues

Contest Blues

"So there's nothing you can do?" asked Rikki. Professor Rowan, who we were talking to on the phone, shook his head. Rina was upstairs in the Pokémon Centre, spending quality time with her new grumpy Pokémon, Shroomish. I wasn't entirely sure how Gallade had evolved into a Shroomish but I guessed that was probably because I didn't listen half the time. I usually missed out on all the important stuff.

Rikki sighed and said goodbye to Professor Rowan. She turned to me and Andy, looking fed up.

"Rina's not going to be happy about this," she said. Andy gave her a sympathetic look.

"On the bright side..." he failed to think of the bright side. Rikki rolled her eyes at him and stomped off, presumably to tell Rina the bad news. I exchanged looks with Tubby, who was stuffing his face with cake. I wonder if he felt as out of the loop as I did? Andy led Tubby and me over to some benches where we sat and waited for Rikki to come back with Rina. She did, and to everyone's surprise, Rina was smiling like she couldn't be happier. Andy asked her what was up.

"Let's go get me another gym badge!" she said cheerfully. I frowned at her. _I _was the up-beat one of the group! She couldn't just steal that from me. I growled quietly at her. I like to think my Snorlax suit made me seem more of a threat.

X

"Oooh I love this show: Flareon on Ice!" I declared, clapping my hands together excitedly as Rina's Flareon ran on the ice, slipped up and began gliding across gracefully on his belly. He even did little spins as he went along. It was an amazing sight.

"Flareon, get up!" begged Rina. She had been battling Candice for a while now and had already won one round. In a way, Candice reminded me of a nicer, cuter version of Emma, which was mad. Emma would definitely beat Rina in a battle!

Candice got her Piloswine to use Earthquake and I watched in awe as the icy ground shook ferociously. Candice managed to keep her balance but Rina was flopping all over the place and her Flareon wasn't much better. Rina then got Flareon to use Flamethrower as he was spinning and it looked mind-blowing – like 3D effects in a cinema! I nudged Andy and told him we should come to these ice shows more often. He reminded me that it wasn't an ice show; Rina was battling for a badge.

"Oh..." I said, disheartened. Feeling slightly cheated, I threw the rest of my popcorn to the floor and pouted for the rest of the 'battle'. Obviously, Rina came out on top. When Candice gloomily handed over Rina's badge – she didn't look unlike Rina's new Shroomish, actually – we returned to the Pokémon Centre. We were sitting around a table and I was once again admiring my new ball capsules, seals and ribbon case Rina had bought me for my birthday. I was so excited about taking part in my very first Pokémon contest! I had a feeling that I could actually win it with Tubby at my side.

"We should probably leave tonight instead of staying here in Snowpoint," advised Rina. I nodded in a happy daze. Andy cleared his throat loudly and then broke the news gently: we wouldn't get to Sunyshore in time for the contest. My face dropped. I demanded to know why, praying that this was some practical joke. Andy shuffled back, stroking Happy anxiously. He looked at Rikki pleadingly, who sighed.

"We don't have Gallade anymore so he can't teleport us there," she said slowly. "There's no way we could walk to Sunyshore in less than a week." We could try? My lip quivered dangerously. My eyes filled with tears. I threw back my head and wailed like a siren. I had been looking forward to the contest! This was the worst news I could possibly imagine. I wasn't even aware that we had been escorted out of the Pokémon Centre because of my incessant crying. I felt like my heart was broken. I wouldn't get to see the look on Tubby's face when I showed him our winning ribbon! Nurse Joy came out of the Pokémon Centre suddenly.

"You could go to Pastoria City, there's a contest there in less than two weeks," she yelled over my hollering. I stopped screeching but didn't turn the tap off – my eyes still leaked tears. I looked at Nurse Joy. She looked so much like my mom.

"Would we be able to make it in time?" asked Rina carefully. Nurse Joy assured us we would, and that we wouldn't have to leave until tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and grinned, pulling out Tubby's ball so I could share with him my happiness. I decided to start practising straight away so together with Tubby, Rikki and Andy I walked purposefully over to the docks where the snow wasn't as thick.

Finding the perfect routine was tricky. Andy released all of his Pokémon to cheer us on but – wouldn't you know it – chaos soon followed that action. Happy got in the way of Tubby's Lick attack and went wild, squawking indignantly and trying to peck everyone. Happy got Psyduck, who responded by running in circles, crying 'Psyyyy!'. Poor fellow. Psyduck then ran into Sandshrew who hadn't been bothering anyone. Sandshrew began chasing after Psyduck, probably to get revenge, while Ivysaur sat apart from it all with an amused expression.

Rina showed up just as Psyduck sent a Water Gun flying in Sandshrew's general direction – it was just a shame he ended up getting Rikki. She became enraged and threatened to do some horrible things with Andy and the snow if he didn't control his Pokémon, so he returned them all.

We finally had a bit of calm so Tubby and I got back to business. I was very aware of my audience and didn't know what to do. None of Tubby's moves worked well together and 'Belly Flop', as Andy pointed out, wasn't technically a move. No-one had any contest experience so couldn't give me any helpful advice. Rina and Andy kept suggesting things that didn't make much sense to me – what was a 'pirouette'? – and Rikki was soon too frustrated to stick around. She headed back to the Pokémon Centre, leaving the rest of us to it.

"I'm going to win," I said convincingly. Rina and Andy exchanged dubious glances. "I have Tubby: of course I'll win!"

"You don't have a routine," said Andy gently. I waved him away.

"Pfft! As if that matters. I'll wing it!" I said perkily.

* * *

**Note: Sorry its YEARS late! (tiny exaggeration there...) I don't even have any excuses, except that I forgot to write...My bad? :)**


	29. Don't Mess With My Man

Don't Mess With My Man

There was less than an hour until the contest began. Rina, Rikki and Andy were with me and Tubby in the locker room. I looked at all the other coordinators in their fancy dresses and tuxedos and felt horrible under-dressed. My cotton Snorlax suit looked grubby and childish next to all that fine silk. I felt like crying. No-one had mentioned wearing fancy clothes! I fiddled nervously with my fingers, my contest pass and Andy's hair. My eyes continuously darted in the direction of the clock. My hands were all clammy too.

"You'll be fine, Tizzy," said Rina in a way that I supposed was supposed to be soothing. I pretended not to hear her and began biting my already stubby nails. Why had I wanted to take part in this contest again?

"Is this your first contest? Well good luck – you'll certainly need it," said a male voice. I looked up at the owner of the voice. I wasn't certain, but I could have sworn he was sneering at me. He was of average height with incredibly clear skin. His dark brown hair had been gelled into spikes. I felt relieved to see that he was just in jeans and a vest, although his gleaming white trainers looked freshly scrubbed. At least I wasn't the only one who hadn't dressed up!

"Yes, this is my first contest," I squeaked. What was wrong with my voice? "I'm Tizzy and this is my Snor–"

"I'm Roger and you are..?" Roger cut me off and shot a dazzling smile Andy's way. Andy looked like a Buneary caught in headlights.

"A-Andy," he stammered, blushing. My eyes narrowed at the Rodney character. He was clearly bad news. Rina and Rikki attempted to introduce themselves to him but they were ignored. Robert asked how old Andy was and looked even more interested in him when Andy replied that he was fifteen. So what? I was sixteen! Rocco slunk his nicely toned, Seviper-like arm around Andy's shoulders and Andy's cheeks turned crimson. I waited until Ronald caught my eye before I glared at him hatefully. He didn't even know Andy and yet he thought he could act all chummy with him. Well, not on my watch! Andy was _my_ best friend and Rolf would do well to keep his slimy hands to himself.

I whispered subtly to Tubby for him to attack Roger with Lick. Tubby nodded and shifted towards Roger slyly. He then licked the side of Ross' perfect face with a satisfying slurping noise. Roderick's disgusted face was priceless and he left the lockers, muttering things to himself. I watched him leave with a grin on my face the size of Tubby's appetite. I gladly gave Tubby a treat for being so helpful.

"I don't like him," announced Rikki. I agreed instantly, as did Rina. I noticed that Andy didn't say anything at all.

"So Tizzy, do you have any idea what your performance will be like?" asked Rina amicably. I shook my head, smiling. I told her Tubby and I would just go with the flow. I was feeling a lot more confident now that I had successfully scared off that cretin, Dodger. My heart was swollen with pride.

"I hope you know this is a double performance, meaning you use two Pokémon at once," said a girl in a dress more spectacular than probably a queen's. I stared at her and she went on to explain that I couldn't just use one. My heart sank. My hands once again became clammy. I must admit that I panicked – but only a little.

"RINA!" I grabbed the front of her shirt desperately. "Lend me your Glaceon now! Which one is her ball?" Rina pointed to the correct one and I snatched it greedily before rushing off. I'd thank her later. I ran around the corner and released Glaceon, who looked around in a confused, why-am-I-here-where's-Rina sort of way. I calmed her down by assuring her that everything was fine but that she was going to help Tubby and me win this contest or else I'd convince Rina that Glaceon had wanted to go her separate ways.

It goes without saying that Glaceon looked ready to help in any way she could.

Twenty minutes backstage watching confident, well-dressed coordinators prancing around on the stage did wonders for my nerves. They simply flew away. All I could think about was being one million, squillion times better than any of those posh snobs. I was one of the last few people to go out and I skipped on to the stage with reckless abandon. The first thing I noticed was Andy and Rina in the audience, jumping up and cheering me on.

"HI GUYS!" I called, waving excitedly. I released Tubby from his special ball and cupcakes exploded out, shortly followed by Tubby. He stood grinning at my side while I let out Glaceon. Stars emerged from her ball and Glaceon landed elegantly in front of Tubby. I had a really good feeling about this.

"First up is Glaceon. Use your icy move thing to freeze the floor!" I announced loudly, checking that the judges could hear me. I almost shrieked with delight when Glaceon obediently used some sort of snowy move that enveloped half the stage in ice.

"And now Tubby and I will ice skate! Let's go Tubs," I said, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the ice. We slid around, twirling and curtseying (or bowing, in Tubby's case) when appropriate. I beamed across the ice at Tubby. This was going really well. I could hear Rikki's voice cheering us on and was glad that she was proud.

Then the inevitable happened. Someone in the first row opened a chocolate bar. Tubby noticed this and began salivating. He attempted to run over to the chocolate but lost his footing and toppled over, landing on his rounded stomach. He began to glide across the ice – towards the judges. They screamed in terror, frantically pushing each other in their hurry to get out of the way before Tubby crashed into their big table, smashed it and then fell off the stage altogether. It looked like it could have been incredibly painful and I was worried for Tubby so I skated across the ice to see to him. Too bad I tripped on my way there.

In an attempt to hold myself up, I grabbed the first thing I could. That just so happened to be the stage curtain. I managed to pull them down with me and I yelped as my butt hit the ground. Tubby stood up from his position on the floor and tried to come to my aid. Unfortunately, all he ended up doing was jumping on the stage and creating a massive hole in it where he fell through. They so needed to invest in stronger wood.

It was silent – with the exception of one idiot laughing his head off – as Tubby, Glaceon and I were led away from the chaotic scene by four security guards.


	30. Brainwashed

Brainwashed

_Dialga and Palkia were coming towards me with hungry expressions. Blood was dripping from both of their mouths. It was the blood of Tubby, Rina, Andy and Rikki who had been devoured moments before. It had been a horrific sight to watch them get eaten alive, to hear their screams as they were torn apart. I whimpered and backed away from the two threatening Pokémon, praying they would spare my life. I backed up until I hit a wall and I realised there was nowhere else to go. I was trapped. There was nothing left to do but wait for Dialga and Palkia to end my life the same way they had done my friends'. Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to it._

_The two legendary Pokémon loomed closer, simultaneously opening their mouths widely. I stiffened, waiting for them to crunch my body between their teeth. When nothing happened, I opened my eyes. Dialga and Palkia were still in my face but the blood around their mouths had vanished. They also looked different; their faces seemed to morph into expressions of pure hatred._

"_Look at this puny girl, she's so weak and annoying," said Dialga. I recognised the voice: it was Roger's. "Don't you think she'd be better off dead?" Roger looked at Palkia when he said this and Palkia nodded in agreement._

"_S-Sorry Tizzy," stammered Andy as he and Roger bent forward to eat me whole..._

I woke with a start, covered in sweat and panting heavily. Judging by the lack of sunlight in the room, I guessed that it was in the middle of the night. Rina and Rikki were sleeping soundly in their beds opposite from mine. I tried to relax but it was difficult. Ever since we'd fought Dialga and Palkia who were under the control of Terry just over a week ago, I'd been having nightmares about it. They were scary Pokémon, especially when it looked like they wanted to kill you.

Then just to add to my trauma, the day after the Mt Coronet incident we bumped into Roger – who I was informed by Rina and Rikki had been the one who nearly killed himself laughing at my ruined contest performance. Roger was like a leech that was attached to us; we just couldn't get rid of him. When Andy announced that they were officially together a few days ago, it all made sense. None of us were glad that Andy's new boyfriend was Roger: the guy was a jerk. Andy was the only one who didn't seem to realise it but we weren't going to tell him. He looked so happy when he was with Roger that it just seemed mean to spoil it.

So ever since meeting Roger, he had been in my nightmares along with Dialga and Palkia. Andy's voice was new though. I wondered what it meant to have your best friend be what was scaring you in your nightmares. It couldn't be good, that was for certain. At least I knew Andy would never team up with Roger and go against me in real life. Err, right?

I rolled over, snuggling deeper under my duvet and hoped that the rest of my night would be filled with lovelier dreams than the one I had woken up from.

X

"You three need a serious make over," said Roger snidely. He had decided to cook for everyone to 'give Andy a break' and had taken time off from bossing us all around to insult us – how predictable. I knew Roger was taking advantage of the fact that Andy still hadn't returned with the bucket of water he promised to get. He was always rude or cruel to us whenever Andy was out of ear-shot. It was really annoying because Andy never showed up when Roger was being horrible. Rikki stared coldly at Roger and asked what he meant by that.

"Well look at yourselves! Frizzy–"

"Tizzy," I corrected him, not for the first time.

"_Tizzy, _is wearing a stupid Snorlax suit! I mean can it get any worse than that? She looks like she got lost on the way to a seven year olds' fancy dress party. Rikki, you're wearing a tank top and skirt which is okay I guess, but what girl wears trainers with a skirt? And Rina: your tights are hideous and your converse doesn't match your skirt in the least." There wasn't even a pause after Roger finished talking before Rikki reacted to it. She charged at him, tackling him to the ground. Roger struggled to defend himself from Rikki's violent attack and Rina yelled for me to help her pull Rikki off him. Yeah, right! I was rooting for Rikki and didn't want the fighting to stop. Roger had it coming to him.

I hadn't noticed that Andy was back until he rushed to the now Rikki-free Roger who to my dismay, only had a tiny scratch on his arm. Rikki was writhing around in Rina's arms and managed to break free. She picked up the bucket of water Andy had come back with and threw it all over Roger, although some splashed onto Andy. Andy demanded to know what was wrong with us and Rina pointed out that Rikki was the only one who had done anything.

"You didn't exactly help, did you? I'm ashamed to call you three my best friends!" fumed Andy. My breath caught in my throat and I felt like someone had stabbed my heart. How could Andy say something like that..? His harsh words stung like a Beedrill and I felt tears form in my eyes. I didn't want Roger to have the satisfaction of seeing me cry so I ran away; dimly aware that Tubby was following. I stopped running when I thought I'd gone far enough to not be overheard and let go of my emotions. Tears spilled down my face as Andy's words replayed in my head. _"I'm ashamed to call you three my best friends!"_

I thought of all the nice things Andy had ever said to or done for me ever since the day we met on that ship back in Kanto. Like when he gave Tubby his last piece of bread, even though back then I was holding him against his will. To stop me from crying over releasing Pipin into the wild, Andy had kissed my cheek_._ Or when he said _"I think you're ten times as nice as Rikki"_ to me. Another was when Karumo pushed me on the ground and Andy helped me to my feet. Andy had also given me that memorable photograph of me and Pipin, _and_ he'd shoved that ginger kid off the ship when he was rude to me. For my birthday, Andy had bought me a special Azurill plush and in my contest, he'd been cheering me on the loudest.

Up until now, Andy had truly been a great friend to me. I felt like all the good things were cancelled out by him claiming to be ashamed of me. Oh how I wished Roger would just get lost! Everything was fine before he showed up and clouded Andy's mind. I was sure he had done something to make Andy act so horribly to his friends.

Rina and Rikki found me and took me to the Pastoria City Pokémon Centre for dinner, although none of us ate much. I'd given most of my chips to Tubby and Sparky. Rina and Rikki were talking but I wasn't really listening. I was too upset about the whole situation to do much. I missed Andy a lot so when the glass doors of the Pokémon Centre swished open, I craned my neck in the hope that it was him. Rina and Rikki did the same but it was useless since it wasn't Andy coming in but a stranger. Our hopes were dashed – until the doors opened again and Andy _did_ walk in. He looked my way and I grinned at him, glad he was without Rog–

I had thought too soon. Roger soon followed Andy and they sat down at another table, away from us. My face dropped at the blatant rejection and grabbed Tubby so we could leave the Pokémon Centre. I didn't want to sit around and watch Andy enjoy being in that slime ball's company any longer than necessary. Tubby and I walked to a patch of grass further along from the Pokémon Centre and sat down. I rested my head on Tubby's soft tummy.

"Oh Tubby, you'll never desert me, right?" I sighed unhappily.

"Snor!" the big guy replied indignantly, which made me feel a little better. I gave Tubby a big hug and tried to blot out all the fun times we'd shared with Andy. Tubby and I sat there in a companionable silence for a while until I caught Roger ambling over to us looking rather smug with him self. Tubby growled.

"Why are you out here all alone, dear Frizzy?" Roger asked with mock-concern. I replied that I was with Tubby so I wasn't technically alone. Besides, what did he care? Roger sat down next to me and I shuffled closer to Tubby. I didn't want to be closer to that smarmy Roger than I had to be.

"Now Tizzy, you do know I've won, don't you?" asked Roger, smirking. I just stared at him, not knowing what he meant. Won what? The lottery? I tried a bit of sarcasm that I had picked up from Rikki but it didn't have the desired affect on Roger. He simply commented that it didn't suit me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement and when I looked, I was surprised to see the Queen of Sarcasm herself crouching behind some bushes not too far from us. I looked at Rikki quizzically: she had my phone and a red light was flashing on it. Rikki put a finger to her lips and I knew not to say anything. I turned back to Roger and asked what he wanted.

"I just wanted to let you know that Andy is done with you."

"Andy is not 'done with me'," I protested, not wanting to let Roger know that I had been thinking the exact same thing moments ago. "We're best friends!" Roger chuckled and shook his head.

"I don't think you quite understand what I'm saying Frizzy. Andy chose me over you. He isn't very bright, is he? He didn't once hear me making fun of you and the other two. Ah, you have to love him though, right?" It made my blood boil to hear Roger talking like that about Andy and I told him not to. Then Rikki jumped out from behind the bushes with a proud smile on her face. She assured me that she had recorded everything on my BlukBerry. Roger gasped and tried to snatch my phone from her but Tubby grabbed him and pinned him down.

Rikki and I rushed back to the Pokémon Centre to show the recording to Andy and maybe, just maybe save our friendship.

* * *

**Note: Allo chums! Its been a while since my last update...I know, I know...**


	31. Transformation

Transformation

It was the morning Andy had vowed to talk to Roger about his behaviour. Rina was relieved and Rikki couldn't stop grinning. The two of them were having a heated discussion right now about whether or not it would be okay to eavesdrop on the conversation. Obviously, Rikki was all for it but Rina thought it would be a major violation of Andy's privacy. They were able to debate it freely because Andy hadn't come down from his room in the Pokémon Centre yet, nor had Roger. Tubby and I wisely stayed out of Rina and Rikki's argument.

"Tizzy, please tell Rina that it's only fair we get to listen. That jerk screwed us over!" fumed Rikki. Rina was already shaking her head before the words had barely left Rikki's lips.

"We can't! Its wrong," Rina enthused. Both of them wanted me to be on their side. I glanced nervously at Tubby for help but he pretended not to notice. Panicking slightly as both girls began to get more heated, I backed away slowly with Tubby at my side until we were near the door. Then we bolted outside. I had somewhere I wanted to go anyway, and I didn't want the others to know.

The idea had come to me late last night when I was asleep in my room. Rikki and Rina had been sleeping soundly but for some reason I just couldn't fall asleep. Something was bothering me. I tossed and turned, trying to figure out what it was. I racked my brains until at last it came to me: what Roger had said about my clothes. He said I looked like I "got lost on the way to a seven year olds' fancy dress party". That kind of insult cut deep. Looking at myself, I realised with a heavy heart that maybe Roger was right. Not only did I look incredibly childish but the Snorlax suit was beginning to get a bit whiffy, to say the least. It probably hadn't been a good idea to wear it day and night without washing it...

Not to mention the fact that I was the eldest in the group. The others were only fifteen. I acted like I was the youngest! Perhaps it was time I matured. Didn't I want people to take me seriously in my next contest? One of the ways to get respect was to appear respectable, and the Snorlax suit did nothing for me. It would be alright as pyjamas but nothing else. After all, they were originally intended to be worn in bed.

Tubby and I walked to the nearest shop, which happened to be the Poké Mart. I didn't know if they sold clothes there but it was the only shop around and I thought it was worth a shot to see. Tubby managed to squeeze through the door and when he did, he looked around him, baffled. Maybe he was losing weight! If that was the case, I'd have to feed him some more to keep him at a consistent weight. I walked up to the man behind the counter and asked him if he sold cute clothes. He blinked at me several times – most likely stunned by my unusual costume – but quickly recovered.

"Not normally, but the bosses are trying something new with the marketing and as it happens, we do have some." To my delight, he brought out a rack of unique, brightly coloured clothes from the back room. I squealed and immediately attacked it, pulling out the first item of clothing that my hand grabbed. It was a short, baby pink mini dress. The man pointed me in the direction of the changing room and I shuffled along, with Tubby behind me, rolling the rack of clothes with him.

Then began my Super Duper Change-A-Thon. I wriggled into the mini dress and peered at myself in the mirror. It was far too short and besides, I didn't have the curves for it. I hastily returned it to the rack and picked out something else. The next outfit was some pale blue jeans with a long sleeved t-shirt. It would have been okay, if the jeans hadn't had a million 'stylish' rips in them and the t-shirt didn't say 'I kill old people for fun'. I put it back before anyone caught me wearing it. The next outfit looked oddly familiar and I wondered where I'd seen it before. I showed Tubby and he laughed.

Staring at my reflection, it slowly dawned on me who had the exact same clothes. Rina! The same skirt, the same starry tights, everything. Laughing, I undressed once more and chose another set of clothes. This time I ended up looking like a ninja; dressed from head to toe in all black. I stuck a few ninja-like poses to entertain Tubby but after fooling around, picked some more clothes. At first I was confused as to why everything was so baggy but then I realised I was wearing boys' clothes. The trousers were especially airy. Embarrassed, I shoved the clothes back on the rack. Was there nothing in this shop that I could wear?

I went through many 'looks': farmer, ballerina, business woman, model, beggar, school student and much more besides. Nothing felt right though. Tubby was getting fed up of watching me try on outfit after outfit and began clamouring to be fed. I told him he'd get some food when I bought some clothes and he pouted. I knew I had to hurry up before he got really upset and started eating things in the shop. I didn't think the cashier would be very pleased if Tubby did that.

It must have been something like a miracle then, that the next outfit I picked out was perfect. A simple yellow t-shirt, dark blue jean shorts, white baseball socks and chunky lilac boots that had a Velcro strap across the front. It was original without being too try-hard and I liked to think it landed in the middle of childish and grownup. It was perfect. I bought it without hesitation and wore it out of the shop until Tubby stopped me and pointed out that I hadn't taken off the price tags. Laughing off the sheer humiliation, Tubby ripped off my tags – and then ate them. Taking the hint, I took him back to the Pokémon Centre so I could buy him some lunch.

I couldn't see Rina, Rikki, Andy or even Roger anywhere and took it as a sign that I hadn't yet completed my new look. I nipped back to the Poké Mart with Tubby and bought every variation of makeup there: mascara, eyeliner, liquid eyeliner, blusher, eye shadow, foundation, concealer, false eyelashes, lipstick, lip gloss, lip balm and several colours of nail varnish. Then I scurried back to the Pokémon Centre and left Tubby with Nurse Joy so he wouldn't get bored of me getting dressed up. Cautiously, in case any of my friends were around, I slipped into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I ran a hot bath and, stripping off, slunk into it. I took my time in there and even washed my hair. When I came out, I blow-dried my now-clean hair and got dressed back into my new clothes. Then I started with the makeup.

I quickly realised that I had no idea how to apply half the stuff I had purchased so in the end settled for just the lip gloss and blusher. Staring at my self in the full length mirror as I brushed my magenta locks with a hairbrush I'd borrowed without permission from Rina, I was astounded by how different I looked. It was amazing what some new clothes, a bath and some makeup can do for a girl's appearance.

I still had the same green backpack and red fingerless gloves that I'd had for months and weren't looking to throw them away anytime soon – even if they didn't really go with the rest of my outfit. With one last satisfied nod to my reflection, I emerged from the bathroom. Spotting a small pink bottle on the desk, I picked it up and read the label. It was perfume. I knew it would pull everything together so with reckless abandon, I squirted practically the entire bottle all over my body. Then I headed to the main room of the Pokémon Centre.

"T-Tizzy?" spluttered Andy. He, Rina and Rikki were sitting around a table near the window. I beamed at their shocked faces and slid in the seat next to Rikki.

"What happened to you?" asked Rina. I shrugged coolly.

"I felt like it was time I grew up, that's all," I said off-handily. The three of them gaped at me.

"But you look...Good!" exclaimed Rikki. I giggled at her back-handed compliment. "Where on earth did you get the money for this getup?" Ah. Now there was a good question. Trust Rikki to be the one who asked it first. I fidgeted in my seat, avoiding everyone's eyes.

"Well yesterday, Roger dropped his wallet when he sat next to me on the grass..." I mumbled. Rikki grinned, obviously impressed. Rina gave me a disapproving look and Andy just stared at me. I guess he wasn't too keen on the whole topic of Roger.

"Nevertheless, it's a change for the better, Tizzy. You look really nice," said Rina with a smile, "especially your hair. What did you do to it?"

"I washed it for the first time in five weeks." There was an embarrassing silence straight after I admitted that as my friends digested that piece of information. Perhaps I should have lied to them...Oh well, it was too late now. I think Andy's pale face actually grew paler. Rina eyed me nervously and Rikki sniffed the air curiously.

"Are you wearing my perfume?" she demanded. Surprised that Rikki _wore_ perfume in the first place – she was such a tom-boy, I didn't know she was aware there was such a thing as perfume – I scrambled out of my seat, 'suddenly' remembering that I left Tubby with Nurse Joy. I didn't turn around to see Rikki's reaction. Who knew she was such a girl?

* * *

**Note: This would have been up sooner but I didn't have much time to write, what with being at a student protest against university fees rising and what not...Yeah, I'm such a poser I just HAD to write about it XD**


	32. Keeping Secrets

Keeping Secrets

Four days later we were walking through Sunyshore City when a girl fell from the sky and landed on top of Rikki, squashing her flat. It was like something out of the Kadabra of Oz, with the wicked witch being flattened by a house. Except, Rikki's not a witch – well, not much of one – and she wasn't exactly squashed flat since the girl was quite little. Rina helped the girl to her feet. She had long mouse brown hair, big pale blue eyes and was really really short, especially from where I was standing. She was wearing a midnight blue dress that looked like it was woven from the night sky and from this I drew the conclusion that she was magical.

"A-are you okay?" asked Andy nervously. The girl nodded in response and I let my excitement run away with me.

"You fell from the sky! Do it again, do it again! How did you do it?" I was ignored though I can't say that surprised me anymore.

"I'm just glad no-one got hurt," Rina sighed in relief. Sparky agreed and this prompted Rikki to lose her temper. She raged on about the girl falling on top of her and the girl retaliated with anger of her own. I gasped in shock that such a tiny person could be so fierce against Rikki. I certainly wouldn't have the nerve to shout back at her. Rikki was scary!

I took a few wary steps away from the two furious girls, as did Andy, Tubby and Sparky. Fortunately, Rina stepped forward and put herself between Rikki and the other girl, trying to calm them both down. Rina introduced herself and us to the girl and in turn we learned that her name was Keera. We also found out that she was only a few months younger than the youngest in our group: Rina. Rikki was quick to challenge her to a three-on-three battle that Keera refused.

"Ah, I would but I've never been in a battle in my life and I'm not looking to change that anytime soon," replied Keera fearlessly. "I am a Pokémon coordinator." My eyes lit up as I thought about the help I could get from this small but confident girl. My heart quickly deflated when Keera went on to explain that she had never won a single ribbon in her three years of practising. What a let down! I needed a lot of practise if I wanted to get anywhere with this chosen path. It was much harder than I had originally anticipated and required a maximum amount of dedication.

"What were you doing in that tree?" Andy asked curiously. I frowned. What tree? While Keera spun a wonderful story about who-knows-what, I found myself inexplicably drawn to Andy. The whole situation with Roger had me re-evaluating my entire outlook on life, even though it was long behind us. Rikki had even forgiven Andy for everything.

The one thing I kept coming back to was that – however much I tried to convince myself otherwise – I was not over Andy. I had tried to convince myself all this time that I totally was. I knew he would never love me the way I wanted him to. His friendship was special to me and I valued it a lot more than Rina or Rikki's – and they were pretty important to me.

Keera's Pokémon – a Beautifly named Lentil – fell from the trees above and landed deftly in her arms like some sort of magic trick. I clapped for that wonderful act, suppressing the knowledge that I was still in love with Andy but knew enough to know to hide my true feelings. So I invited Keera to come with us to watch Rina challenge Volkner in the hopes that an added person to our tightly knitted group would keep the attention off me. All the way to Sunyshore Gym I bombarded Keera with questions so there was no space in the conversation for anyone to guess what was really on my mind. Our question and answer session lasted the entire walk to the gym and for that I was glad. Taking a deep breath before she entered, Rina pushed open the double doors and led us inside.

Volkner was standing at the far side of the yellow battlefield, posing confidently. He looked like one of the guys you might find on a poster in a preteen girl's bedroom, usually shirtless. Actually, Volkner resembled a cooler, older version of the singer Justin Bibarel – with hair that wasn't floppy. Rina challenged him to a battle for the Beacon Badge and I discreetly decided to feign a romantic interest in Volkner so it would be even harder for anyone to figure out how I really felt. I glued myself to Volkner's side and felt up his rippling muscles in awe.

"Keera, you gotta feel this guy's muscles!" I squeaked in admiration. I was embarrassed when Andy – in front of everyone – dragged me away from Volkner and to the stands from where we would observe the battle. Tubby followed us but since he was so big, had to sit on the side of the battlefield rather than up by the stadium chairs with us. I avoided looking at Andy as we took our seats and Rikki and Keera soon joined us. Rina and Volkner released their first Pokémon and I loudly cheered Volkner on, because it couldn't hurt right? At my friends baffled expressions, I explained that I was only doing it because I thought Volkner was cute and none of them suspected differently, which was good.

It was a short while later and Rina had won her battle with Volkner – of course. I've probably mentioned it a million times but I'll do it one more: Rina was an amazing trainer. I slunk down to the battlefield to collect Tubby but had the idea of playing up the I-fancy-Volkner-act a little more. So I zoomed across the battlefield and flung my arms around his neck dramatically.

"Oh Volkner! You must be _so_ upset that you lost. Don't worry; I'll be your shoulder to cry on!" I stared gleefully at Volkner's scared expression and nuzzled my face into his neck for good measure. Andy and Rikki scraped me off of Volkner and just to play up the part, I resisted, kicking and screaming as they carried me out of Sunyshore Gym. I like to think I gave a pretty believable performance. We went to the Pokémon Centre for lunch and while we were eating, Rikki demanded to know why Keera was still with us. Evidently she had grown bored with her. I didn't care much; I was busy playing a catching game with Tubby in which he caught food in his mouth. It was a rather neat trick and I wondered if we could use it in our next contest. At any rate, Andy seemed pretty impressed with it, from what I could tell.

The first time I noticed things were getting out of hand between Keera and Rikki was when I felt the first effects of Lentil gearing up to attack. I grabbed Sparky, who was sitting on the table innocently. Andy grabbed me, his hands going around my waist as he directed me towards the exit (why did he have to put his hands _there_?). Tubby grabbed Andy and the four of us fled the scene, along with plenty of other trainers eating lunch in the Pokémon Centre.

The other trainers had gathered at the window to ogle the confrontation going on between Rikki and Keera and I climbed on to Tubby's back with Sparky in my arms. With Tubby being the biggest there, it was easy for us to march our way to the front to watch as the events unfolded before our eyes. Andy asked to borrow my BlukBerry so he could call the police.

Lentil released her attack and Rina pushed Rikki out of the way so it hit her instead. She collapsed on to the floor, obviously knocked out. Rikki and Keera spoke for a bit after that, though none of us could hear what they were saying through the thick glass. All of a sudden, Rikki punched Keera in the face. Lentil fluttered out of the Pokémon Centre and Rikki aimed a second punch at Keera – who ducked and swept Rikki off her feet with her leg. They quickly got into a messy brawl and the other trainers cheered them on enthusiastically. Only Andy, Tubby, Sparky and I showed any concern for Rikki's wellbeing.

Eventually the police showed up in their flashing car and were immediately all over the scene like Combees on honey. We followed them inside and Tubby hauled Rikki off of Keera so she could be arrested by a grim looking Officer Jenny. My hero!

With Keera gone, Tubby let Rikki go and she instantly rushed to Rina's side. Rikki barely seemed to notice the long scratch on her cheek from Keera's sharp nail. All she cared about was Rina and if she was going to be okay. Lip quivering, I clutched at Tubby's paw as I fretted over Rina. I wanted to follow Rina as Nurse Joy wheeled her away on a gurney but she didn't want too many people to crowd her, so just Rikki and Sparky were allowed to go. I stayed behind with Tubby and Andy, praying Rina pulled through. My heart ached when I thought about anything bad happening to her. How had things turned out like this?

* * *

**Note: [enter apologetic author's waffling here]. Yes, it's been two months. Yes, I know you've probably given up on this story. And YES, I'm fully aware that means this message is to no-one!**


	33. Misunderstanding

Misunderstanding

I was sooooo relieved to know Rina was fine! All she needed was a few days rest and once she had fully recovered from the attack, we left Sunyshore City. There was a place called Victory Road that Rina seemed keen on going through but when Rikki explained to me that it was the hardest route in terms of battles, I stuck by her and Andy's decision to travel around it. The journey at most would take two days and would be fairly easy. Even so, Rina was adamant that she wanted to go through the maze of Victory Road, fraught with disconcerted wild Pokémon. I tried to persuade Rina to come with us, not wanting to see her hurt again so soon. Rina was a devoted Pokémon trainer though, and stayed strong to her resolve to going through Victory Road.

We parted ways quite sadly, promising to wait on the other side for Rina. We waited for Rina to enter the cave of Victory Road before setting off on our two-day journey and ten minutes later, Rikki was threatening to kill me. All I did was start singing 'one million Fresh Waters standing on the wall', a timeless classic that has failed to get old. Reluctantly, I ceased my merry song since I didn't much like the sound of Rikki ramming her trainers down my throat.

We walked for ages but didn't seem to be getting anywhere. I started to realise just how long a two-day journey really was and couldn't stop complaining. This got on Rikki's nerves even more so in the end, I convinced Tubby to give me a piggy back ride and let him do all the leg work. Hey, Rikki was an extremely persuasive girl – particularly when she threw violent words casually into the conversation. A few dull hours later, a large red pick up truck drove slowly past us, the driver peering suspiciously at us. The truck stopped suddenly and someone got out from the passenger side. Someone I preferred my friends not to ever meet. I slid down from Tubby's back.

"Tizzy? Fancy seeing you here!" said TJ Torres brightly, his eyes crinkling up as he grinned. I forced a smile on my face. I hadn't seen him since Snowpoint City, just after his Vespequin and scooter had been stolen by Team Elemental. He seemed to be doing a lot better now and the Budew at his side seemed quite happy. I could still remember how I had felt when TJ kissed me and though the feelings were great, they were old now. It was difficult to be welcoming to TJ once I knew without a doubt my feelings for Andy were still going strong.

Both Rikki and Andy stared at me, evidently wondering who this older boy was and how we knew each other. Reluctantly, I introduced them all to one another.

"Wait, this is TJ? The boy who kissed you?" hissed Rikki, not bothering to make sure TJ didn't hear her. TJ blushed a bit and cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah I'm that TJ. My uh, girlfriend is in the truck. We just started going out. We share the Budew," he gabbled quickly. I squinted into the dark cabin of the truck to see if I could identify any girl-like shapes. All I could make out was an odd, vague shape and I wondered if she (it?) was going to come out of the truck to say hi. I shuffled closer to the truck to see if I could see any better. The only thing that became clearer to me was the reflections of Andy and Rikki in the window. Rikki's face was guarded, like she didn't trust TJ while Andy looked...conflicted, to say the least.

TJ approached the truck, walking around to the other side to help his girlfriend out. I stepped back to join ranks with Andy and Rikki. While TJ and his girl were walking around to meet us, Rikki whispered to me if I thought they would give us a lift to the Sinnoh League. Trust her to be thinking of easy travel.

After what felt like years, finally TJ's girlfriend came into view. Now, I might be biased because of the kiss TJ and I had shared but I'm sure Andy and even Rikki would agree with me when I say: TJ's girlfriend wasn't as good-looking as I am. That sounds incredibly vain and rude but she wasn't exactly a beauty queen. She had wavy ginger hair that fell to just past her generous chest and dull green eyes that were magnified behind olive coloured, rectangular glasses. Her wide nose was covered in a smattering of freckles and she was even paler than Andy. She was slightly shorter than I was but had a fairly big build. She was wearing a flowery lime green dress and short black boots.

TJ introduced her as Rain Cloud and though Rikki sniggered at such an odd name, I didn't. I knew what it was like to grow up with an unusual name so I didn't poke fun at Rain. She said hello to us a little stiffly and our response was pretty much the same. Rain picked Budew up and I marvelled at how well it matched the rest of her. Rain then stared at Tubby as if she had never seen a Snorlax before. She blinked rapidly behind her glasses.

"Snorlax's body is composed of mostly its belly, where most of its fat reserves accumulate," she recited quickly, eyeing Tubby warily. "They are usually six feet eleven inches and weigh about one thousand fourteen-point-one pounds." Rain paused and glanced at the blank faces of Rikki, Andy and me to check we were taking this all in. I wondered if she had swallowed a Pokédex.

"This Snorlax looks like he weighs about one thousand four hundred seventeen-point-six two pounds," Rain stated, almost accusingly. It wasn't my fault Tubby was so much overweight, he just didn't know when to stop eating! And how did she know how much he weighed simply by looking at him, anyway? No-one was _that_ smart...right? Upset by Rain's insensitivity, Tubby threw a tantrum in which he threw himself on the ground and cried, pounding his paws on the ground so that the world shook dangerously. I was forced to return Tubby to his Pokéball so he "didn't kill us all", as Rikki put it.

"Are you guys going to the Sinnoh League?" asked Andy, trying to salvage what was left of the conversation. TJ replied that they were, to cheer on Rain's older brother Storm as he was competing in the league. After learning this, Rikki wasted no time asking for a lift. She didn't even wait for a reply; she simply climbed into the back of the truck and sighed contently, massaging her tired feet. She shot TJ and Rain a look, almost daring them to deny her a ride. TJ simply shrugged his permission and Rain scurried back into the cab of the truck with her Budew. Andy, TJ and I were a little slower in getting in.

Before we did, Andy asked if I was okay. I replied that I was but I must not have been very believable since Andy got this determined look on his face. Andy nudged TJ just before he clambered in the passenger seat – apparently Rain was driving – and said, so loud that people and Pokémon within one hundred miles could hear:

"You know I'm Tizzy's boyfriend, right?" I almost swallowed my tongue. Rikki burst out laughing. TJ was shocked for a moment – and then smiled, his eyes crinkling in the way that they did. He was okay with this. He chuckled.

"That's great; we're both in relationships." He leaned in closer to me to whisper in my ear. "It makes things a little less awkward between us." TJ was so wrong. I could barely move for awkwardness, packed in to the back of the truck next to a grinning Rikki and an astonished Andy. He couldn't believe what had come out of his mouth and he tried to explain, saying how he thought having a boyfriend would show TJ I didn't care that he had Rain.

Except, I really _didn't_ care that TJ was with Rain and I didn't need a boyfriend – fake or not – to prove that. Andy hadn't contemplated the idea that I didn't like TJ anymore – maybe because I hadn't told him. I thought pretending I still had romantic interest in other boys would keep suspicions away from the whole still-in-love-with-Andy thing. Looks like it had worked all too well.

I pretended to be grateful for Andy's help and Rikki agreed to play along with the lie – for a small fee, of course. The drive to the Sinnoh League wasn't as bad as I initially thought it would be. The only thing I had to remember was that every time TJ looked back, Andy and I had to hold hands, cuddle or look like we were having a very interesting conversation, which wasn't so bad considering. Rain didn't speak much since she insisted she had to have full concentration to drive and though she drove painfully slowly, we made it to the Sinnoh League by nightfall.

A Gothic building lay before us, with two intricately decorated towers at the front of the building and rose windows. It was pretty in the dark, since it was all lit up against the night sky and reminded me of a castle. We climbed out the back of the truck and thanked Rain and TJ for the lift. Then I dragged Rikki and Andy inside so we could get as far away as possible from the couple, vowing never again to let either of them meet anyone I even vaguely knew. It was far too much hassle.


	34. Swinub Flu

Swinub Flu

A hacking cough heaved itself through my body, ripping through my chest as my head just about exploded in pain. To top of my coughing fit, I gave a tremendous sneeze that caused my sore head to pound even harder than before and sucked any moisture from my already dry throat. I reached blindly for a tissue from the box on the table next to my bed. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to grab a tissue while I only vaguely knew of its whereabouts and was lying down as I was. It wasn't a surprise that I didn't succeed in getting a tissue.

"Here," Rikki sighed, shoving a tissue in my face. I took it gratefully, wiping my nose with it before handing it back to her. She took it gingerly, her face contorted with disgust as she flicked the offending item into the bin. It was the morning after we had arrived at the Sinnoh League building and we were in a large room that had four beds, specifically so we had one extra for when Rina came back. I had been up half the night coughing and the other half I had been sneezing and complaining. My noise had also kept up Rikki and Andy, both of whom had matching dark circles etched under their eyes. Unlike Rikki though, Andy seemed genuinely concerned about my health. He had rushed down to the Pokémon Centre at the first sign of sunlight to get Nurse Joy and now it was just Rikki and me in the room.

Being so ill was scary to me and I weakly begged Rikki to hold my hand. She resisted at first – come on, it was Rikki – but I must have looked so helpless lying in bed that I somehow tapped in to Rikki's emotions and she eventually slipped her hand into mine.

"You tell anyone about this and you're dead," she threatened menacingly. I shook my head quickly. I wouldn't put murder past her, especially when she was in one of her moods.

"Rikki," I croaked out desperately, "d-do you think I'm going to d-die?" Rikki's hardened face visibly softened. She assured me that I probably had a fierce cold and that there was nothing for me to worry about. I tried my best to believe her.

"Where's Andy with that Nurse?" she questioned irritably. I shrugged. He _was_ taking an awfully long time but there were a lot of people at the Sinnoh League building. Nurse Joy was probably busy with a million of other things and had no time to listen to small, stuttering boys in grey hats. A sharp pain in my stomach caused me to gasp. Beads of sweat gathered on my forehead and yet I shivered under the duvet.

"Talk to me Rikki," I whispered. "We don't really talk, do we?" I wanted to hear her speak and concentrate on that rather than the uncomfortable and at times painful feelings I was experiencing. Being sick sucked. Rikki looked thoughtful for a moment, apparently thinking of something to speak to me about. It didn't really take long for her to come up with something but during that time I had three more coughing fits.

"You know, this reminds me of the time I was extremely sick. I think I was about eight when it happened and my parents were still together at the time but were at work, so I was at home with my three older brothers," began Rikki. I stared at her in awe. In that one sentence I had learnt more about Rikki than I ever dared dream I would. I didn't know her parents were divorced or that she had a brother – let alone three! It seemed Rikki was pretty good at keeping herself to herself.

"I was feeling pretty lousy so my brother Aaron, the oldest, ordered my other two brothers Joshua and George to do everything they could to make sure I was kept happy. They went as far as to act out a short version of my favourite movie for my own amusement while simultaneously feeding me chicken soup. It was–"

Andy burst into the room suddenly, dragging Nurse Joy behind him. Rikki yanked her hand away from mine and acted as if she had been fed up with my company all this time. She moved away from my bed, barely looking at me so Nurse Joy could examine me. All the while I didn't take my eyes off of Rikki. She really was a remarkable girl, with so many layers to her character. I wonder if any of us – even Rina – truly knew her at all. She was like a secret mystery because she didn't let on that we knew virtually nothing about her.

Nurse Joy took my temperature, checked not only with me but also with Andy and Rikki the symptoms I had been experienced and jotted down a few notes. In the end, she determined that I had Swinub Flu. I was instructed to stay in bed for the next three days and was given some pills that I was to take twice a day. If I also drank plenty of fluids and got lots of rest, I was sure to recover back to full health within those three days. That was the theory anyway.

Andy was upset for me that I was doomed to stay inside while he and Rikki could go out and explore. To make me feel less lonely, Andy was going to leave Happy, Sandshrew and Psyduck with me until he and Rikki got back. Nurse Joy told him that they should be immune from the illness as Pokémon couldn't catch Swinub Flu. Lucky them.

I feebly placed Tubby's ball in Andy's hand as he stood by the side of my bed, saying goodbye. Even if I had to stay cooped up inside, I didn't want Tubby to suffer the same fate. I made Andy promise that he would take extra special care of Tubby and feed him lots so he wouldn't get sad about me being sick.

"Goodbye Tizzy. Hope you feel better!" Andy called as he and Rikki exited the room. The young Pokémon gazed at me in bed, probably wondering why we were all in here.

"Swaa?" Happy asked, cocking his head slightly.

"I'm seck," I mumbled, realising I now had a blocked nose. This day just kept getting better and better, didn't it? Psyduck laughed at how silly my voice was and Sandshrew shoved him angrily.

"Hey, dere's no need for biolens," I berated her softly. Sandshrew took no notice of me – or maybe she didn't understand what I said – and continued to punish poor Psyduck for giggling at me. I suppose I could have been flattered that Sandshrew was so protective of me when I wasn't even her trainer but all I could think about was Psyduck. He was always being bullied by Sandshrew and Ivysaur – sometimes even Happy got involved. Psyduck was simply too innocent to be around them. I opened my arms to him and Psyduck ran into my embrace, cowering away from Sandshrew in my arms. I frowned at her disapprovingly.

"Dee what you ded? Made Byduck ubset." Sandshrew at least had the decency to look guilty and I took that as a good sign. "You shud learn do wuk dogever. As a beam."

"Shrew!" Sandshrew clearly disagreed with me but I was having none of it. I couldn't let her get away with that. These were Andy's Pokémon and one day, he might be in trouble and would have to rely on them to help him out. How were they supposed to do that if they couldn't even get along?

"No Samshoo, I'm deadly sirrius. You doo, Habby. You hab do stob pecking on Byduck, okay? Its nod good bor anyone – espeshly Amby." I noticed that my blocked nose had only gotten worse in the short time I had been speaking and I had to marvel at the fact that all three Pokémon seemed to understand me. Or maybe they were pretending to understand, for my sake. I decided I didn't care because of what happened next.

Sandshrew tapped Psyduck on his shoulder and said something to him that could have only been a sincere and heartfelt apology. Happy also appeared to apologise to the yellow Pokémon and the three of them hugged it out on my bed. My heart welled with pride. I had done this. I had brought these three Pokémon together as a team – finally. It had taken them long enough to get it together!

"Bake sure Ibysaw behaves as well, okay," I warned them, knowing she was the one to watch out for. As Andy's strongest Pokémon, I reckon she fancied herself as the leader of their team and was too used to things going her way. That needed to be stamped out of her quickly, since she was what would prevent Andy's team from working together nicely.

Deciding that I had done enough counselling for one day, I cuddled Psyduck like a teddy bear and snuggled down under the duvet. Sandshrew and Happy quickly followed my lead, joining me under the duvet. The four of us settled down for a long, satisfying nap as friends.

* * *

**Note: Inspired by me being ill (though not this badly).**


	35. Dodge the Bullet

Dodge the Bullet

_I was pretty sure I was sleeping. I mean, I had to be, right? Perhaps it hadn't been a great idea to have my medicine, then some soup and straight after, devour eleven packets of Pikachewits. After a brief sugar rush, I had dropped off into an uneasy sleep in which my dreams were bright yellow, filled with cake I couldn't eat and the song 'Sharpedo in the Water' was all I could hear. It was weird, so I woke up. I mean, I was half certain I was awake. The other half of me knew that there was no way Rikki would be sitting by my bed side, looking as if she had been crying. I mean, you couldn't make that stuff up._

"_Oh! Tizzy, are you...awake?" asked Rikki, sniffing. I mumbled something that even I couldn't comprehend through half-closed eyes. Rikki must have decided that I wasn't awake, not that I was going to disagree. This had to be a dream. Why else would Rikki start talking to me about her love life?_

_She went on as if she was continuing a conversation and it occurred to me that maybe she had been talking all this time but I hadn't been listening. She described to me the heartache she felt every time her crush looked at someone else in a certain way and how much it hurt to be apart from them. However, Rikki knew that she could never confess her true feelings to her crush because she would be rejected in an instant – it was obvious her feelings weren't being reciprocated._

_I felt sorry for dream-Rikki but didn't show my sympathy for her. I reasoned that with this being a dream, I didn't have to. Instead I felt around for what had become my favourite cuddling object to sleep with: Andy's Psyduck. I hugged the little guy to my chest as Rikki warbled on about liking this person for months but being powerless to do anything about it. It was beginning to get a little boring, in all honesty, and I guess I must have tuned her out._

_After a while, I felt Rikki's weight lifting from my bed and I knew she must have got up. I stayed as I was; my head feeling too heavy to process anything like the simple task of turning. Psyduck fidgeted under my hold but I grasped him tightly, not wanting to lose my comfort. He soon got the message and resumed his motionless position._

"_Thanks for listening, Tizzy, even though I'm sure you're more than half asleep." Rikki laughed quietly. "I don't even know why I just told you all that. I guess I had to get it off my chest somehow." Everything went dark then, and I assumed I fell asleep properly. Unless this was a dream in which case, did that mean I was waking up..?_

X

I was finally – finally! – over my Swinub Flu, which meant that it had been three days. Normally that would have been cause for celebration but we didn't feel much like being happy. That was because Rina hadn't arrived in the Sinnoh League yet. Andy and I were fairly worried but neither of us could match Rikki's concern. She had been frantically biting her nails since the break of dawn when it became clear that Rina was not yet here. Tales of how dangerous Victory Road soon reached us through trainers who had already travelled the perilous route and it didn't do anything to soothe our worries, especially since most of the people wanting to compete in the Sinnoh League looked so much older and more experienced than Rina. Could she really pass through Victory Road in one piece? Rikki didn't seem to think so.

"I just know she's cowering behind a rock somewhere with her team all unconscious, surrounded by rabid, wild Pokémon!" she muttered, pacing in front of us agitatedly. Tubby and I exchanged dubious glances. Okay, Rina hadn't got back yet but that didn't necessarily mean anything bad had happened to her. She had probably got caught up making new allies – or discouraging people from passing through Victory Road to limit her competition. I know that's what I would do. However, when I shared that thought with Andy and Rikki they only looked at me like I was crazy. Andy reminded me that someone as ambitious as Rina would want all the challengers she could get. Rikki agreed and even Tubby didn't think my idea was plausible. I was on my own.

Deciding not to let my friends' lack of belief dampen my spirits, I jumped to my feet and demanded that we all cheer up. So what if Rina wasn't back yet? We wouldn't be doing her any favours to get in a state over her being a tiny bit late. We should have fun, for her sake – or at least look around the Sinnoh League building.

"Uhm, Rikki and I have already memorised the entire building while you were sick. Three days is kind of a long time to explore..." said Andy apologetically. I growled quietly and sat back down. Whatever. In my heart, I knew they had missed me for those three days I had been stuck in bed. How could they possibly have any fun without me? I was the life and soul of every party!

"Hey look, there's TJ and Rain," said Andy suddenly. He lifted an arm to wave them over and I tackled him to the ground, dragging him under the table. As an afterthought, I pulled Rikki as well and returned Tubby to his Pokéball. I wasn't going to take any chances.

Rikki struggled to get out from under the table, complaining about silly things like chewing gum and me accidentally bashing her head but I held her down. I didn't want TJ and his new girlfriend to see us for one very good reason: I didn't want Andy pretending he was my boyfriend. It was bad enough the first time but I knew TJ and Rain would expect us to keep up the charade. As much as I would have liked it to be for real, I knew any feelings Andy had for me were purely platonic. I didn't have a chance of him actually _liking_ me, liking me. I was content with his friendship but didn't want to confuse my heart with any unnecessary acts just to make me seem over TJ.

Even though I was. Argh this was all so confusing!

Eventually, TJ and Rain walked by without noticing the three of us hiding under the table and we gladly got up. Rikki shot me a dirty look when she realised how dusty her clothes were and Andy gave me a sympathetic smile. He put a hand on my shoulder gently.

"You're still not over TJ," he smiled sadly. I smiled back, resisting the sudden urge I had to strangle him. Letting him think I wasn't over TJ was a lot easier than admitting the truth.

For the next two days I commanded my friends to hide whenever we saw TJ, Rain or both of them together. Andy complied easily as did Tubby, though he didn't really have a choice since I was the one returning him to his Pokéball. Rikki was the only one who resisted my little scheme and had to be bribed into hiding whenever the two lovebirds came into view. I owed her about half my life savings in the first hour.

That's why it was a complete relief when, on our fifth day of being at the Sinnoh League, a friendly and more than a little welcome face walked in to the Pokémon Centre section of the building. Even though her hair was like a Pidgeot nest, the bags under her eyes could have been used to carry my Mom's shopping, she was covered in dirt and small cuts, her clothes were ripped to shreds and she had stitches on one arm, Rina was still very much identifiable.

"RINA! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" I squealed excitedly. Now maybe things could finally get back to normal around here.

We started towards the shop with Rina on her suggestion and she filled us in on everything that had gone down on Victory Road. It had been as tough as we had all feared and Rina had had a hard time just trying to survive, let alone train. We were all just so happy she was more or less okay. Rina asked what things had been like at our end and the three of us looked at each other. Rina had been through enough as it was and didn't really need to be stressed out with our (okay, _**my**_) problems. I plastered a big smile on my face.

"Nothing really happened; we've mostly been relaxing these past few days, right guys?" Andy and Rikki quickly backed me up. I sighed happily. It felt nice to have Rina back with us again. This was how things were supposed to be.


	36. Outright Truths

Outright Truths

I couldn't stop grinning. Rina had won her first battle in the Sinnoh League and the four of us were celebrating her success in our room, along with all our Pokémon. Psyduck, Happy, Sandshrew, Breloom, Froslass and Mothim were taking turns to use Tubby's belly as a bouncy castle while Ivysaur and the rest of Rina and Rikki's Pokémon interacted with each other, getting along as only friends did. The room was pretty crowded as a result of everyone's Pokémon being out of their balls.

Rikki was gleefully shaking up yet another Soda Pop so she could spray it all over Rina, who was hiding behind Andy like he was a human shield, both of them laughing. _Click._ I took a picture with my BlukBerry phone, to remember the moment forever. Grinning, I joined in the madness and popped open the party poppers I had been storing for such an occasion. Brightly coloured pieces of paper fluttered everywhere, getting tangled up in hair and fur alike. Suddenly, all eyes were on me and the laughing had stopped. Rina groaned.

"It was just one battle! I still have a long way to go. I'll probably get knocked out in the very next battle..."

"Who's going to clean up this mess?" wondered Andy aloud, looking at the multi-coloured paper strewn across the room, not to mention the damp, sticky patches on the carpet from Rikki's Soda Pops. Well, since he was so concerned about it, he might as well clean it – right? I knew it wasn't bothering me. Rikki flung an arm around Rina's shoulder casually.

"Don't worry about it! We all know you're going to be great, Rina," she said encouragingly. Rina looked at Rikki, her eyes shimmering.

"You really think so?" she asked, unable to conceal the pleased smile spreading across her face.

"I know so." Rikki tore her eyes away from Rina to look at Andy quickly. "And you; don't worry about the mess. Tizzy will help you out." With those final words, my fate was sealed. I was forced to pick up all the loose bits of party popper paper from wherever they had landed while Andy scrubbed at the damp carpet with a sponge dunked in soapy water. I wondered why Rikki didn't have to clean even though she had played a big part in messing it up in the first place, but one look at her cold blue eyes and I knew not to ask. Rikki had threatened me for a lot less.

As I was scrounging around on the floor for little pieces of paper, Andy whispered to me. He asked if I wouldn't mind going somewhere with him in about half an hour and of course I said I would be glad to, though I was curious as to why Andy warned me not to let Rina or Rikki know about it. Just what was Andy planning that was so top secret?

The four of us soon realised why we don't let all our Pokémon out at once: conflicts were sure to arise. A fight looked like it was breaking out between Ivysaur and Sparky, with many of the others backing up the Raichu. Ivysaur was glaring at Sparky, whose cheeks were igniting with electricity in a menacing manner. Flareon and Monferno were growling at Psyduck, causing him to blubber like a baby. Tubby just looked confused at everything going on, probably dazed as an after effect of the Pokémon jumping on him. We hurriedly returned them all to their balls before things could get serious and looked at each other, relieved. I think we all were thinking the same thing; we wouldn't be trying that again in a hurry.

Andy announced then that he and I were going to take a short walk downstairs to the shop. He asked if Rina or Rikki wanted anything but neither did, so he and I left swiftly. We hadn't gotten very far when Andy stopped walking and turned to me, quite serious.

"Tizzy, I chose you because well, you're my best friend. The thing is, I've been talking to this guy online and he seems really nice so I suggested we meet up. Apparently he's here to watch his older sister battle in the league. But I've been having second thoughts about meeting him alone, just in case he turns out to be...Someone else. A creep, I guess." At least that explained why Andy knew so much about that online profile thingy he taught Rina how to use... Andy bit his lip nervously and fiddled with his hands.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to. I'd really appreciate it if you did though, and I thought it would be good for you to do something different so you weren't thinking about TJ and his new girlfriend," Andy said, giving me a small smile. He rested his hand on my shoulder and looked at me sympathetically. Suddenly I couldn't take it anymore; all the lies, the deceit. It had gone on long enough and I was fed up with it. I knocked Andy's hand off my shoulder and placed my own on his, staring at him intently so he would believe me.

"Andy, I'm sorry to say that I've been lying to you – or rather, not telling you the truth. The reality is, I'm way over TJ and have been for a long time now. I'm sort of still in love with you but I know we'll never be together as a couple. I've grown used to the idea of us simply being best friends and in fact, am quite happy with that." Glad to have got it all off my chest, I sighed contently.

I stood back and waited for Andy's reaction. His already pale face grew paler and his mouth hung open slightly – he was understandably surprised. I saw Andy visibly swallow, closing his eyes to process the information. When Andy opened his eyes again, he was smiling. He grabbed my hand.

"Thanks for being honest with me. I do love you Tizzy, just in my own way." I smiled back at him.

"I know," I said. "Let's go meet that guy!" I pulled him after me as I raced down the stairs, eager to see Andy's knew friend. I wondered how we would identify him from all the other teenagers milling around aimlessly and Andy informed me that his friend, who went by the name of Nev_Jr16, would be wearing a bright red jacket. Being inside the building meant that not a lot of people were in jackets – red or otherwise – so it was pretty easy to spot Andy's friend from the other side of the room. Nervously, he and I walked up to the boy, who had a Mime Jr. at his side.

"N-N-Nev_Jr16?" stuttered Andy.

"D-Drew_Ivy?" the other boy asked. The Mime Jr. stared at us curiously. Andy looked back at me and then at his online friend.

"Ye-Yeah, but c-call me Andy," he said. His friend gave a faint smile, as did his Pokémon.

"I-In that c-case, I'm N-Nevada." Nevada was cute and had on a grey cap that covered most of his short lilac hair and hid his anxious brown eyes. His red jacket was a rather feminine-looking trench coat, which he wore over black skinny jeans, paired with red trainers. He was dressed in a similar way to Andy, just with more of a sense of fashion. It probably helped that both were as pale as each other, and seemed to have a habit of stuttering. I cleared my throat loudly, prompting Andy to remember my existence.

"Oh! Sorry. Nevada, this is my best friend Tizzy," Andy hurriedly added. I smiled broadly at Nevada and his Mime Jr.. They seemed nice enough to me. It was obvious they weren't the creeps Andy had feared. I nudged him encouragingly and he blushed. Nevada shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"I-Is she coming on our d-date, too?" he asked, eyes wide. Andy began choking while I laughed heartily.

"Is _that_ what this is?" asked Andy, at the same time I said,

"Of course I'm not!" We regarded each other for a moment before I turned my attention back on Nevada.

"Andy wanted me to come with him in case you turned out to be a creep. But you're not, so I'll be going now. Have fun you two!" I trilled, already retreating back upstairs. In all honesty, I didn't mind much that Andy was going on a date. Nevada looked harmless enough and after Roger, I knew Andy needed a huge confidence boost in the love life department. If Nevada made Andy happy, then I was happy. Besides, at first glance Nevada was perfect for him. I could tell they were going to get on wonderfully and even if they didn't officially go out, they'd make great friends. It was my job as Andy's best friend to be there and do what was right for him, after all.

And also to annihilate Nevada if he did anything to hurt my little Andykins.


	37. Duty Calls

Duty Calls

Nevada and Andy decided to simply be friends. They were too alike to be anything more, of which I was certainly glad. I didn't think I was ready to compete for Andy's attention so soon after Roger. Rina was getting really far in her battles and Rikki, Andy and I were all really proud of her achievements so far. We had all agreed in private that if Rina didn't win the finals, we were going to be super supportive and understanding.

"What do you mean Tubby is banned from the restaurant?" Rina asked with a frown. She had just won her latest battle against some absolute weirdo in no shoes. I tried to look innocent but knew it failed so I stuck my expression on 'mysterious'. Tubby had apparently been sleepwalking into the restaurant at night and eating all the specials for their meals. The supervisers had talked to me about it quietly and we had all agreed that it was in Tubby's best interest if he didn't know. It was also super embarrassing to have an overweight, sleepwalking Snorlax so I thought it would be best if I didn't tell my friends what had been going on.

"Oh, it's nothing," I said quickly, forcing Tubby's ball on Rina and dashing off in search of cakes. When I got there, I thought it was fate. They had an entire table piled high with fresh desserts that caused me to drool with anticipation before I had made three steps inside. I blinked and the next thing I knew I was crouched under the dessert table, stuffing my face with stolen goodies. I had an apple pie in one hand, a large blueberry muffin in the other and all around my mouth were indistinguishable crumbs.

I realised that maybe I have a little bit of a food problem. I mean, I see food – especially sugary food – and I can't help but shove it in my mouth. Most of the time, I can't even control myself. On the plus side, I don't eat meals regularly and my metabolism is sky high so it's not as if I put on weight like Tubby. But just in case, perhaps both he and I should go on diets.

I dropped my sweet goodies and covered my mouth with my hands as I giggled. It went on for quite a while and I could hear people above the table wondering aloud what that high-pitched noise was, which made me laugh longer. Eventually though, I got thirsty and crawled out from under the table, still clutching a half-eaten slice of marble cake in my hand. People stared at me but I ignored them.

The only drink I could find in the entire restaurant that wasn't in a glass was an energy drink so I grabbed that and raced outside in search of Rina and Tubby. I was probably (okay, definitely) on a sugar rush because I kept yelling random things until I tripped over Rina who was lying by a tree. My cake fell on the grass messily and my drink spilled everywhere. Tubby toddled along and swallowed my cake in one gulp, which made me laugh hysterically once again.

"How many sweet things did you consume?" Rina asked tiredly.

"Hundreds and thousands!" I responded at once, slapping Rina on the back. Laughing, I started to run off again but knocked head-first into that Nicholas boy. Rina joined us and tried to engage Nicholas in conversation but he was unresponsive and borderline rude. Rina made me promise not to tell Rikki about it and of course I agreed, though I thought it was a pretty strange request. What was so special about Rikki that she couldn't know Nicholas had been unfriendly to her best friend?

X

"Rikki, are you alright?" That was the first time I noticed Rikki wasn't acting her self. We were in the stands, watching Rina battle against Sky. It had been a long time since any of us last saw the little blonde girl and none of us had been expecting her to be so skilled in battling. Rina's Flareon and Sky's Leafon had just finished tearing holes in each other and Rikki had been shifting around distractedly in her chair way before their fight to the death had even started.

I turned my head and studied Rikki carefully. She couldn't stop fidgeting, her hair was frizzy and her eyes were frantically glancing around the arena – anywhere but in Rina's direction. She swallowed hard and looked at Andy, who was sitting on my other side. I think it was the first time I'd seen Rikki with actual tears in her blue eyes and I knew something was terribly wrong. Scared of the impending bad news, I gripped Tubby's Pokéball for comfort, wishing I could have my best friend give me a hug. He was too big to fit in the stands as there were so many people crammed in to watch the battle, it being one of the last ones. I could have grabbed a hug from Andy but somehow I didn't think that would be appropriate given the situation.

"Listen guys, I'm telling you this because I consider you..." Rikki hesitated, "my best friends." Now I knew for sure this was not good news. Rikki never let her guard down enough to show sensitivity. I looked at Andy quickly and saw he was just as freaked out as I was.

"What is it?" I asked in a tiny voice, biting my bottom lip.

"Professor Rowan called me a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted to do some research for him – I'd get paid and everything," Rikki began.

"Well that's a good thing isn't it?" questioned Andy. Rikki's eyes cast downwards.

"...In Hoenn."

"Oh!" Andy and I cried at the same time. Rikki nodded her head sadly.

"I accepted the offer. I want to go – it's a really good opportunity. But..."

"Have you told Rina?" Andy wanted to know. Rikki's 'no' was flat and whispered.

"I...I can't do it. Andy, Tizzy...you must know by now..." Rikki's eyes pleaded with us to become mind readers so we would know what she was trying to tell us without using her words. Andy took a sharp intake of breath.

"You're in love with her!" he squealed excitedly. Rikki's eyes hardened dangerously.

"Keep your voice down!" she hissed roughly. Then she softened once more. "You...You won't tell her, will you? I don't think I can face the rejection." I noticed she was looking at me more so than Andy and felt the need to defend myself.

"Of course I won't tell her, Rikki!" I said indignantly. She smiled weakly when Andy also promised not to spill her biggest secret.

"So when are you leaving?" Rikki cleared her throat tensely.

"In about five minutes." My heart dropped when she said that. To think that Rikki was leaving us with such short notice was astounding.

"I know Rina is going to Hoenn after the League but I couldn't bear to make the journey with her. I have to go now before I become too attached to her but I don't think I'd be able to say goodbye to her. It would hurt too much. Could you..?"

"We'll tell Rina you left but we won't say anything about your feelings for her, Rikki," Andy consoled. Rikki breathed a visible sigh of relief.

"When you leave us," I said, "how are you getting to Hoenn?" Rikki told us that Professor Rowan had organised for a car to take her to Snowpoint City, from where she would take a ship directly there. I nodded and felt my heart breaking. I didn't want to see Rikki go! I threw myself at her and tightened my arms around her in a forceful hug. For once, Rikki didn't push me off or squirm. She hugged me back, almost as tightly and I felt tears spring to my eyes. This was a real goodbye.

Andy also hugged Rikki and as he did so, a low murmur rumbled through the stands. The three of us looked out at Rina's battle and saw that her Breloom had fainted. Sadness was evident on Rikki's face as she struggled to say she had better be off. Andy asked her if she was sure she didn't want to wait for Rina to be finished with the Sinnoh League so we could all go to Hoenn together. I felt a glimmer of hope at this suggestion but was quickly shot down by Rikki's next words.

"I'm sorry but I kinda want to go alone." Andy assured her we understood and together, he and I watched as Rikki shoved her way through various audience members, walking out of the stadium and out of our lives. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"RIKKI!" I called after her. She turned around and I saw that she was already crying, the tears running freely down her pink cheeks. "PROMISE YOU'LL STAY IN TOUCH!" Rikki nodded and smiled affectionately.

"Tizzy you idiot, of course I will!" she yelled back. I beamed despite the insult and Rikki turned for the final time before disappearing behind a large group of people. Andy and I sat back down and he kindly slipped his hand in mine. I gratefully squeezed it, glad for him and his thoughtful comforting. I could tell he was going to miss Rikki and her sarcasm just as much as I would. I leaned my head on Andy's shoulder to wait for the stands to empty. Rina had lost her battle and Sky's name was on everyone's lips.

"Bagsie I'm not telling Rina about Rikki," I said quickly.

Rina was heartbroken about Rikki's abrupt departure - she revealed to me and Andy that she too had feelings for Rikki! It was just like a tragic love story. I was frustrated that Andy wouldn't let me tell Rina that Rikki felt the same. He said it wasn't our place to interfere with their relationship, as I could end up doing more harm than good. He was probably right.

Rina was even more depressed when Andy broke the news to her that he and I weren't going with her to Hoenn. We had been talking and had agreed to return to Kanto: we both missed our families and had a great entrepreneurial plan for our future that would play to both our best qualities. It was hard to leave Rina but it had to be done. Her dream no longer matched ours. Andy and I wished her good luck and went our separate ways, promising to stay in touch though.


	38. Five Years Time

Five Years Time

I should have been over excited and deliriously happy. Any other girl would be on her wedding day. I was getting married to the man of everyone's dreams: Milton Prescott. We had been dating for exactly a year before he proposed and there was no way I could say no. Milton was a perfect gentleman in everyway and Mom and Dad totally approved of him. They had accepted Milton into the family even before our engagement was announced, so there was no problem there. He got on well with seven year old Sunshine. Milton was a good man which was exactly what I deserved. But if Milton Prescott was so awesome, why wasn't I over the moon at the thought of becoming Mrs Tizalicious Prescott in a few hours?

With a heavy sigh I tore myself away from the full-length mirror in my room. We'd rented out a mansion for the ceremony – Milton's idea. My room was on the top floor above the hall where I'd soon become tied to one man for the rest of my (or his) life. I was dressed in a simple white dress that clung to my lanky frame, giving off the illusion that I possessed curves and my long hair had been pinned up with jewel-encrusted clips. I thought my hair was far too fancy but I couldn't complain because Milton's mom had done it for me, being a hairdresser and all.

Four of my best friends burst into my room: Emma, Rina, Rikki and Tubby. Shortly after Rina lost the Sinnoh League, I had put Tubby and myself on a strict diet – on Mom's orders. She was worried about Tubby's arteries getting clogged because as she put it 'he wasn't a young Munchlax anymore'. Tubby was getting older and so was I. It had been about time we put our binge-eating ways behind us.

Nowadays, Tubby was looking fitter than ever. I was really quite proud of him. He had a black bowtie fixed just under his chin and looked rather handsome. Rina, Rikki and Emma were my bridesmaids, the three of them in matching strapless purple dresses with their hair curled – courtesy of Milton's mom. Emma however, stood out from the other two as she was eight months pregnant with her and her husband's first child. They were going to have a boy.

Our lives had changed so much since Rina participated in the Sinnoh League. Andy and I were inseparable, sharing an apartment above our shop _The Happy Centre_ – named after our Swablu. _The Happy Centre_ was a day care of sorts: Andy trained the Pokémon and I played with them to make them bubbly and friendly. Only Pokémon who I deemed cute were allowed to be put in our care, though. We'd built it from the ground up when we both got back to Kanto and years later it was still pretty successful. I'd given it all to Andy when Milton and I got serious and Andy had hired a new girl to replace me. Though my regular customers were sad to see me leave and didn't think much of my replacement, _The Happy Centre_ was still going strong.

Emma waddled into my room and collapsed in the armchair, evidently exhausted. She started complaining about her shoes being too tight and I gladly ignored her.

Rina smiled at Rikki who smiled back and slipped her hand into Rina's, causing her to blush prettily. They had been going out for almost three years but still acted like they were in their first week of their relationship. It was sweet.

"Is Andy here yet?" I asked anxiously. All four of their faces stiffened and I knew the answer. I had barely seen him since Milton and I had announced our engagement. Where was Andy? He was supposed to be my **best friend** – how could he miss my wedding? This was meant to be the best day of my life but I didn't think I could enjoy it without Andy present. I couldn't go through this day without at least seeing his face. He was the intended best man but as he hadn't replied to the invitation it was decided that Tubby fill in.

My shoulders sagged and I threw myself on the single bed, face-first. I didn't care if my makeup got smudged. I wanted Andy to be here! He was – though I wouldn't ever admit it aloud in case Rikki or Emma beat me up – my number one friend. My friends gathered around me, rubbing my back and speaking soothing words to cheer me up but nothing would work. The only thing that would cheer me up would be Andy's presence at my wedding.

There was a timid knock on my door and I called for the person to come in, though I'm not sure my muffled voice carried that well.

"Uhh...Is everything okay in here?" It was Conan, Emma's husband. Emma assured him it was.

"There's a guy who wants to see Tizzy..." Conan carried on.

"The man who looks like a Pachirisu!" Sunshine piped up. It was Andy! I rolled over and sat straight up, ferociously rubbing at my face to wipe away messy makeup stains and probably making it ten times worse. I cleared my throat and looked at the two people in the doorway. Sunshine was in a lilac dress and tossed her curly fringe – much like Mom's – out of her eyes, as was her habit. She really needed a trim but wouldn't let anyone go near her with a pair of scissors. Conan was in a red suit that did not match his cropped purple hair in the slightest.

"Tell him to come up. I want to speak with him – alone." Conan nodded and left the room, Sunshine skipping after him. Tubby and Emma soon followed but Rikki and Rina hung back. I noticed they were still holding hands.

"Tizzy, when Andy comes...just listen to him, okay?" Rina said, confusingly worried. I nodded and Rikki rolled her eyes at Rina affectionately.

"I'm sure Tizzy will do the right thing," she chided, giving Rina a quick kiss on her cheek. The two of them exited my room and that was when Andy walked in, closing the door behind him. He was wearing a dark grey shirt-and-trousers combo which went well with his signature grey hat. I remember when we had been teenagers and Andy had been at least a head shorter than me. I'd stopped growing a little after my seventeenth birthday, giving Andy the chance to catch up to my immense height. Now Andy was half a head taller than I was and he stared down at me, his brown eyes glistening.

"Andy, where have you _been_?" I was deeply hurt by his avoidance and I hoped it showed through my voice and on my face. He took my hands in his and looked at me sadly.

"Thinking about you being married to and happy with another man made it painful for me to see you. It was only this week that I realised why. Tizzy, I love you and I was too deep in denial to realise it sooner. I thought I was gay but I guess you were my one and only exception."

My throat became horribly dry. How could he dump all of this on me on my wedding day? Did he know how long it had taken for us to put that stupid bow tie around Tubby's neck? What would my friends and family think about this? Mom and Dad simply adored Andy for helping me finally achieve something in my life and Sunshine loved him to bits. I knew Tubby didn't like Milton that much so he wouldn't mind if I didn't go through with the wedding. Emma would be happy for my happiness, however I found it. Rina and Rikki...now that I thought about it, I realised they probably knew all along. The four of us were pretty close, ever since our Sinnoh region days.

Wait a minute. Maybe they _had_ known. Their last words seemed to point me to accept Andy's feelings, not to mention they had been acting weird lately: sneaking around and having secret conversations. Whenever I asked what they were up to they would smile guiltily and deny everything. I should have guessed something like this was going on behind my back.

"Tizzy, say something!" persuaded Andy desperately. Say something? I didn't think I was capable of forming any sentences just then. So rather than attempt to speak, I took action. I slipped the engagement ring off my finger, dropping it on the floor. Milton was the perfect catch – for someone else. Without a word, I threw myself at Andy and pressed my lips against his.

"Finally!" I heard Rina call while Rikki wolf-whistled. They had evidently opened the door. I grinned against Andy's lips and pulled him in closer, feeling him reciprocate my actions. His lips were soft on mine as he applied just the right amount of pressure. I felt the soft hairs on his chin tickle me gently. We pulled away eventually and Andy smiled confidently.

"Come away with me. We'll elope, return here to continue working in the _Happy Centre_ and live the rest of our lives together. You don't want to marry that Milton guy; he's all wrong for you," he said. I looked at Andy, my eyes wide. He was asking a lot from me. Andy wanted me to run away from everything here, from Milton and his family to marry him. I knew I loved Andy – I had never stopped from the moment I laid eyes on him when I was fifteen. We had both grown up a lot since then but my feelings for him had not changed.

"Tizzy, if you don't go with Andy, I'm going to kill you very slowly and very painfully," Rikki said sweetly. Rina slapped her wrist playfully and laughed, though I wasn't too sure Rikki was joking. I drew my gaze back to Andy's face and beamed. Now that he was here, of course I wasn't going to marry Milton. I grabbed Andy's hand and together, we snuck out of the mansion and climbed onto his waiting Venusaur, who was going to take us far away from here.

My wedding wasn't going to be as grand as Milton wanted but it was going to be as simple as I did. What more could a girl ask for?

* * *

**Note: And that's the end. I do so love a happy ending. I've no idea what I'm going to write next but I'm sure it won't have anything to do with Pokemon...  
**


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